Exorcism: Increasingly frequent, including after US protests

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This month, two Roman Catholic archbishops showed a different face of exorcism – performing the rite at well-attended outdoor ceremonies to drive out any evil spirits lingering after acrimonious protests. Cordileone said the exorcism prayers in Latin, remarking that “Latin tends to be more effective against the devil because he doesn’t like the language of the church.” The prayers were different from those offered when a person is believed to be the subject of demonic possession. “It is important to recall that Pope Francis has never been shy about speaking about the devil, and has warned many times against naiveté in the fight against Satan, even in the 21st century.” One perennial challenge for modern-day exorcists is to determine if a person potentially possessed by the devil is in fact suffering problems better addressed by mental health professionals. In light of this, the institute says its curriculum “is devoted to the importance of knowing how to discern whether someone is truly possessed, or whether they have some sort of psychiatric or psychological illness.” The institute says it agrees with those who say exorcisms have increased in recent years, but adds that “there is no serious statistical study of the practice.” The U.S. bishops conference has placed a detailed Q-and-A about exorcism on its web site, “in hopes that clear information is brought to bear on a topic that is often shrouded in mystery or misinformation."