Posted on 05/28/2013 6:31:16 PM PDT by haffast
The Catholic Church's top exorcist, who claims to have sent 160,000 demons back to hell, says he wants Pope Francis to allow all priests to start performing the ritual to deal with a rising demand for exorcisms from the faithful.
Father Gabriele Amorth, 88, who also heads the International Association of Exorcists, told The Sunday Times that he will ask Pope Francis to allow all priests the right to do exorcisms without the church's approval. According to the report, priests currently need special approval from their bishop to perform the rite and it is rarely granted.
"I will ask the pope to give all priests the power to carry out exorcisms, and to ensure priests are properly trained for these starting with the seminary. There's a huge demand for them," said Father Amorth.
He explained that he was inspired to make the request after watching Pope Francis perform what he insists was an exorcism on a man "possessed by four demons" in St. Peter's Square.
"The pope is also the Bishop of Rome, and like any bishop he is also an exorcist," Amorth reportedly told La Repubblica newspaper. "It was a real exorcism. If the Vatican has denied this, it shows that they understand nothing."
"There was now, more than ever, a need for exorcists to combat people possessed by 'sorcerers' and 'Satanists,'" he noted in that report.
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(Excerpt) Read more at global.christianpost.com ...
I was wondering about where you send them to....Jesus sent legion into a herd of swine and the swine died....did the legion just evaporate or actually die with the swine, they couldn’t get out of the swine.....
sounds like the Walter Mitty of Catholicism
“The Secret Life of Father Gabriele Amorth”
How can it really be determined that a demon has actually been cast out? By behavior afterwards?
Well they sent back to Hell where they belong.
Remember all illneses come from the enemy or the devil.
Those who don’t believe the number of demons Father cast out may be overlooking the fact that possession by a single demon is the exception. Most often there are multiple demons present within a victim.
Do you honestly believe that mentally ill people are really just satan possessed?
Do you really believe that measles or colds come from satan?
hmm. Good question. I don’t know that they are satan possessed, but yes, I believe, in the absence of physical condition or damage, say caused by injury, defect or addiction, that there is a spiritual aspect, definitely.
yes or demon possessed
I read two of his books, too. Fascinating work he does.
ok, thanks
My friend used to go to the local nursing home where her husband lived...and she would read the Bible aloud. He had favorite verses, but she just read to him. He calmed and was quiet and still while she was reading. So did the entire nursing home. All the patients would calm and be quiet throughout the place. Something powerful was going on at those times. The place was always teeming with noise and commotion otherwise. It always makes me ponder the power of the Word.
Yeah I’m not buying this solely on the math...
Thanks for relating that. I too believe in the power of focusing and positive thinking. I think reading familiar words or those associated with peace and tranquility are very powerful. Mantras and chants like the Gregorians used are also very useful in their monotones and repetition.
Now you can see why there are rules around the Ritual. If a person is suffering from a mental disorder and not possession, there is no point in putting the person through the Ritual.
Some people, not many, with mental disorders are possessed, but one doesn’t have anything to do with the other.
Alternatively, most people who are possessed do not suffer from any mental disorder.
Either way, a careful examination of the person by mental health, physical health, and spiritual health needs to be carried out before the Ritual.
Lutherans and other Christians have successfully conducted exorcisms. It is the Holy name of Jesus and the power of a loving God that cause the evil to leave.
Positive thinking? I believe it was God’s Word...they recognized His voice.
That’s pretty positive.
FWIW.... Reading St. Bede tonight ( England AD600s ) and he is very clearly explaining the causes of solar and lunar eclipses according to the modern understanding, along with the spherical earth, so on and so forth. Further he is citing sources from the time of Christ or perhaps earlier.
Dragons eating the sun, while believed, were never believed by the educated.
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