For Catholics, Interest in Exorcism Is Revived

[SecularMotion]

The rite of exorcism, rendered gory by Hollywood and ridiculed by many modern believers, has largely fallen out of favor in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

There are only a handful of priests in the country trained as exorcists, but they say they are overwhelmed with requests from people who fear they are possessed by the Devil.

Now, American bishops are holding a conference on Friday and Saturday to prepare more priests and bishops to respond to the demand. The purpose is not necessarily to revive the practice, the organizers say, but to help Catholic clergy members learn how to distinguish who really needs an exorcism from who really needs a psychiatrist, or perhaps some pastoral care.

“Not everyone who thinks they need an exorcism actually does need one,” said Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., who organized the conference. “It’s only used in those cases where the Devil is involved in an extraordinary sort of way in terms of actually being in possession of the person.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/us/13exorcism.html?_r=1&hp

[Drale]

1. John Paul II put very strict rules on exorcisms for a reason

because what people thought was demonic possession was actually mental illness.

[Angry Dragon]

2. Every week the catholic church goes out and buys more shovels

They keep digging that hole deeper and deeper

[alanquatermass]

6. Agreed Angry! (I'm angry too!!!) The fuckin' Christian Right in this country is --

-- in any and all ways, WORSE THAN THE FUCKING MUSLIM EXTREMISTS WE HAVE SPENT OUR TREASURY FIGHTING!

Not "as bad", mind you...

But WORSE.

Far worse.

And it makes me fucking SICK.

[Speck Tater]

3. So I guess "The Age of Enlightenment" was just a temporary thing, eh?

Now it's back to the Dark Ages. Can the Inquisition be far behind?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Nobody expects it. -nt

[47of74]

4. Start with the GOP