As Occult, New Age Practices Increase, so Does Need for Exorcists

The National Catholic Register ^ | 9/24/12 | Elisabeth Deffner

[marshmallow]

Evil has not fallen out of fashion. Exorcism is a rite developed — and promulgated — to meet a need that still exists, due to more people delving into New Age and occult practices.

And, yes, satanic worshippers are a reality.

“They come in the church and steal the Blessed Sacrament to use in a ‘black mass,’” explained Father Gary Thomas, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Saratoga, Calif., and the exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose.

He has alerted his fellow priests to this danger — and trained his extraordinary ministers of holy Communion so that they note whether people receiving Communion are actually consuming it, not simply transporting it elsewhere for obscene purposes.

Father Thomas, a priest for 28 years, has even addressed people who appear not to be consuming the Eucharist.

“If I don’t know them, I’ll say, ‘Excuse me, will you please finish consuming the body of Christ in my presence?’” he said.

Father Thomas — the subject of the book The Rite and the 2012 movie of the same name — was one of a half dozen exorcism experts to speak at the Southern California Renewal Communities’ Catholic Renewal Convention held Labor Day weekend in Anaheim, Calif.

In addition to the workshops on healing, the Holy Spirit and prayer, the convention offered two tracks called “Christ Triumphant,” which focused on exorcism and deliverance ministry — a general track and a pastoral track for clergy and lay ministers.

The day preceding the convention, organizers also hosted a “mini-conference” for 175 registered priests and three bishops featuring the expert speakers (among them four active exorcists and one retired exorcist).

Which begs the question: Is exorcism simply a hot topic — or has the need for the rite grown?

It’s certainly a popular subject. The Rite was...

[Bon mots]

You do not treat mental illness with holy water.

[tiki]

Absolutely not, but you don't treat evil with anti psychotics either.

[John O]

Read the article.

[blueunicorn6]

You can’t play around with Satan because he don’t play.

[married21]

I saw a woman in her 60s take the host in her hand and did not see her put it in her math and chew it. She walked out of church right after receiving the host. This was last Sunday. I sit in the front, so I am always watching people treat the Eucharist nonchalantly.

I wouldn’t put it past someone to steal a host and mess around with it, though. A few years ago, when the California Science Center featured a display made of “plasticized” real human bodies, a couple of women walked in near closing time and stole the plasticized fetus on display. I think they probably used it for an evil ritual.

[EBH]

No you don’t.

But according to liberal psychologist they have a pill to treat conservative’s paranoia.

I think I might through some Holy Water on her.

[evets]

Anyone who eats the bread and drinks from the cup,
if his spirit is not right with the Lord,
will be guilty as he eats and drinks.
He does not understand the meaning of the Lord’s body.
This is why some of you are sick and weak, and some have died.
(1 Corinthians 11:29)

[HerrBlucher]

Correct, and that is why Exorcists go through a rigorous process to rule out mental illness before doing an exorcism. If the subject is fluently speaking foreign languages that they never learned, show enormous strength, poltergeist activity, levitation, etc., then it is probably not mental illness.

[sportutegrl]

. . . a couple of women walked in near closing time and stole the plasticized fetus on display. I think they probably used it for an evil ritual.

Nah, they probably just wanted to make a really big King cake.

[strongbow]

"Nah, they probably just wanted to make a really big King cake."

That has to be the funniest post today!

PS I grew up in Baton Rouge and lived for 4 years in New Orleans

[onedoug]

There’s plenty of evidence for God in the universe, but none whatsoever for Satan before he is abstracted from the human mind.

In other words, Satan is to be blamed for evil, but not the mind of Man himself.

How convenient.

[blueunicorn6]

I had a classmate in high school who fooled around with satan. He was reading the satanic books. He sacrificed cats to satan. He wound up killing several people. I braced him in the hall of our high school because I thought he was trying to scare my girl friend. I looked into his eyes. It wasn’t just a sick mind. It was evil and I am haunted to this day.

[battousai]

You do not treat mental illness with holy water.

no you don't and the Church knows that, but thanks for your input ;)

Father Thomas, for instance, works with a medical doctor, a clinical psychiatrist and a psychologist as he discerns whether a “client” is suffering from a demonic possession or from a mental or physical disorder

[Emperor Palpatine]

[Emperor Palpatine]

Wrong...

The devil’s greatest trick was convincing people he didn’t exist.

[ZX12R]

If the subject is fluently speaking foreign languages that they never learned, show enormous strength, poltergeist activity, levitation, etc., then it is probably not mental illness.

Since none of those things are possible, mental illness is all that's left as a diagnosis for the strange behavior.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

—— There’s plenty of evidence for God in the universe, but none whatsoever for Satan before he is abstracted from the human mind. ——

If you don’t believe Jesus, you could perform an experiment with a ouija board, but I DON’T recommend it.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

—— Since none of those things are possible -——

How do you know?

[ZX12R]

How do you know?

Because the sum total of my existence, experience and knowledge over the last 55 years, concludes it.

I wonder why you don't know the same?