Posted on 02/04/2005 11:19:06 AM PST by DBeers
Priest wants help with 'strange happenings'
Every Catholic diocese across the island of Ireland should have a specialist who can assess possible supernatural occurrences such as "poltergeists, hauntings and demonic infestations", according to a priest who is an expert on spiritual issues.
Father Pat Collins made the call in the current issue of the religious periodical, The Furrow.
He also said that a special conference to discuss these issues is needed which would bring together theologians, psychologists, parapsychologists and experienced exorcists which would aim to "explore this aspect of ministry".
Fr Collins, who has written books on spirituality, said he regularly receives calls from people around the country reporting "strange happenings" in their homes.
"They range from footsteps, sounds of crying, smells, objects moving, to electrical appliances going on and off."
He wrote that his usual practice is to refer such people to their local priest for help, but that they would "recount how the priests they had spoken to had either dismissed their stories in a sceptical manner, said Mass or prayers in the house without any discernible effect, admitted that they were not competent to help, or referred them to someone like myself."
Fr Collins said that as a result of this lack of response from most priests, many Catholics are instead turning to "New Age practitioners, spiritualists, psychics and other non-Christian helpers".
He wrote that the Catholic Church needs to find a more systematic way of responding to queries about possible supernatural phenomena and to this end each diocese should appoint a specialist or expert in the area.
"Those who want to deal effectively (with reported supernatural occurrences) need to be au fait with psychology, the paranormal, the notion of the restless dead, and the possibility of infestation by evil.
"Like good doctors, they diagnose what the nature of the problem is, and then try to come up with an appropriate remedy.
"Not all priests would be expected to know about such things, any more than all doctors would be expected to know all about rare diseases.
"Good doctors refer difficult medical cases to specialists.
"Surely priests should be able to refer difficult cases, to do with such things as poltergeists, hauntings, and demonic infestation, to diocesan specialists. Otherwise those who are afflicted may have recourse to New Age practitioners, spiritualists, psychics and other non-Christian helpers," he said.
Fr Collins called for a conference designed to pool knowledge of the area. And he said that many Christians have given up belief in the supernatural because of the influence of secular ways of thinking.
MuWaHaHaHaHaHaHa!
Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?
If there's any other aspect of this you'd like to discuss, I can be reached by FReepmail, but I am by no means an expert on exorcism.
I don't need advice. I understand the situation better than you think.
What garbage. You should be ashamed of yourself.
One of the really interesting things is to go to Catholic Answers radio section of their site.
If you go into their archives, you can go to an interview with Fr. James Lebar(sp?) an Exorcist for the New York archdiocese at the time.
A caller asked him if he knew or read "Hostage to the Devil" and whether it had any kind of truth in it.
Lebar responded, "Yes to both. I know Fr. Martin and he needs our prayers as he is ill currently and is elderly. But the book Hostage to the Devil is very accurate and pretty much tells it like it is."
Then Lebar goes on to relate stories of Exorcism that go way beyond any of the physica manifestations that Fr. Martin described. One Lebar referenced was when a bishop was in a hospital to give last rites to a dying priest. As he went past a room, a person was climbing on the ceiling and cursing the bishop.
The bishop ignored the possessed and went on to give the priest last rites. When he came back up to the floor of the possessed. He started the rite of exorcism. Within minutes the demone howled that he's failed and that the priest had died at that moment and been taken to Heaven.
With all the insults flying around these days, it's hard to tell what is a joke, an insult, or an insult veiled as a joke.
If you were truly joking, I apologize.
I can't recall where I read this story. A priest went to a locked down psychiatric hospital to bring Holy Communion to a patient. The Eucharist was concealed in his clothing as he walked down the hallway, but as he passed several of the rooms the patients inside became out of control with agitation, screaming at the priest as he walked by. It was a strong case for demonic possession in psychiatric cases.
I have personally seen similar at Loma Linda University hospital. In the ER I was waiting to interview a crook who terminated a partnership with another crook via a 9 MM pistol. Except his buddy was faster, hence he would be called "circulating the drain". A certain little old fellow would walk by, and the crook would howl like a banshee. I later spoke with this gentlemen and told him the story. He winked and said "nice to know I haven't lost my touch". He was a priest who'd been called for last rites on another Pt. I'll never forget it !!!
It might explain why some of the priests appear to have only abused once. Perhaps they were successfully exorcised. This would also lend understanding to why some of the Bishops may not have taken any action. If a successful exorcism had occurred they may have seen no need.
I have asked at least ten times in this forum if anyone had any information about the subject but few responded and those that did had no concrete info.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.