What children read, what they see on the screen, can inspire them toward greater faithfulness.

Conversely, Father Robert warns, it can lead them into the sordid world of the occult, even opening them to demonic possession.

Father Robert is not exaggerating. A priest for more than ten years and an experienced exorcist, he knows firsthand the unintended consequences when children or adults open the door to demonic activity.

"Oftentimes," he says, "[demon possession] begins because kids get curious after reading Harry Potter." He explains that kids want the unusual powers that they see depicted on the screen.

One former Satanist whom Father Robert knew personally, a man who has turned away from his past life and embraced the Catholic faith, had begun his descent into Satanism at the age of nine or ten, when he began playing a game called "Bloody Mary."

From that simple beginning, he gradually became involved with others who were Satanists.

Respecting Confidentiality

An important part of Father Robert's ministry is training other priests at the Vatican's official Exorcism Institute in America.

From across the country and around the world, Catholic priests come to the Institute to learn the secrets of this ancient rite, so that they too can exorcize demons and evil spirits.

The nature of the work that Father Robert and the Institute are involved in is so hazardous that he has requested that the Register not publish his full name or reveal his location.

A Decidedly "Catholic" Horror Film

I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Father Robert at a recent media preview of New Line Cinema's latest horror production, "Annabelle: Creation", which opens nationwide on August 11.

Directed by David F. Sandberg (director of the short film "Lights Out"), "Annabelle: Creation" is actually a prequel to the highly successful 2014 release of "Annabelle" - which is itself a prequel to the 2013 cult favorite "The Conjuring" and the more recent "Conjuring 2"(2016).

Father Robert had seen them all, and he agreed that "Annabelle: Creation" was largely faithful to the Catholic Church's teachings with regard to possession and exorcism. Continue reading

Sources

• National Catholic Register article by Kathy Schiffer, a Catholic blogger
• Image: IGN

Auckland woman Josephine Martin, who runs a monthly prayer room at Church Unlimited, has been "operating in the area of deliverance" for 26 years, and says the number of people stepping up to say they need to be delivered is growing.

Exorcism or deliverance is the act of using prayer to expel a demonic presence from a person or place. Continue reading

Manilia archdiocese said the Church now has 80 to 100 exorcism requests on its books at any one time.

Some Christians are taking matters into their own hands, seeking out healers and occult practitioners.

But a Church spokesman said this only serves to attract more demons.

There has also been a call for a unified approach to exorcisms in the Philippines amid concerns about how some priests might be performing them.

Continue reading

Fr Jose Francisco Syquia, the chief exorcist for Manila archdiocese, said he has seen a steady increase in cases in the past decade, with 200 so far this year.

In 2006, a National Office of Exorcism was opening in the Philippines.

"At any given time we have at the minimum 30 cases," said Fr Syquia.

"And we're only five exorcists."

He has asked the Philippines bishops conference to assign one resident exorcist to each of the country's 86 dioceses.

It's important, he said, because many Filipinos will turn to occult practitioners when they cannot find a Catholic exorcist, leaving them with "spiritual openings" that allow demons to latch on.

Continue reading

William P. Blatty is promoting his book titled "Finding Peter; The True Story of the Hand of Providence and Evidence of Life After Death".

Aleteia reported Mr Blatty told a Washington, DC audience that he believed his son was in a righteous state when he died in 2006, having recently been to Confession, at his mother's urging.

"I'm good with God," his son told him.

Peter, a former heroin user, died of heart failure after eating pizza and drinking beer one night.

Two months later, Mr Blatty noticed something unusual about a favourite tree of Peter's in the family backyard in Maryland.

It had grown buds in the middle of winter, but lost them the next day.

Later, a broken halogen light stayed on for half a minute.

Mr Blatty does not discount the possibility that each incident was an unexplained natural event; the subtitle of his book uses the word "evidence" rather than "proof" to show that life extends beyond the grave.

In his latest book, Mr Blatty wrote that during the seven years since his son's death, "he has given Julie, his mother, and me unremitting strong evidence that his death, like all human death, is a lie".

Mr Blatty said his latest book is the culmination of a writing career which he views as an apostolic act.

If there are demons, there must be God, he concluded.

Mr Blatty wrote his best-selling novel "The Exorcist", later made into a famous movie, after hearing about successful and previous failed attempts by priests to exorcise a Maryland boy.

In 2013, Mr Blatty petitioned the Vatican to revoke the Catholic status of his alma mater Georgetown University, unless the institution implemented Ex Corde Ecclesia, the apostolic constitution that defines the mission of Catholic colleges.

Sources

• Aleteia
• Image: Huffington Post

"Was he demon possessed? Maybe. It happens," the Rev. Dwight Longenecker wrote at the Patheos website, where the Catholic priest from Greenville, S.C., is a columnist.

Religious leaders and public figures have sparked some of the most heated discussions in the wake of the tragedy as they have offered various explanations for the violent outburst and spiritual guidance for dealing with it. Read more

Sources

• David Gibson in Huff Post Religion
• Image: Mystic Politics

David Gibson is a columnist for the Religious News Service of the Huffington Post

"At the moment of consecration of the precious blood I asked the Lord to shower his blood upon the youth and to help any young men who may have a vocation to the priesthood."

The instant reaction of one 13-year old boy shocked the young priest, "he fell backwards and started growling. And I thought, ‘I wasn't expecting this!'"

Several years later, and he is one of a new generation of exorcists-in-training following a decision by the U.S. bishops in November 2010 to vastly increase the number of exorcists, which might number as low as 50 in America.

The priest, who is from the U.S. Midwest, spoke to CNA on the basis of anonymity so that he will not be deluged with inquiries. As he explained, "we have set structures to make sure those who most need help get it."

He now finds himself in Rome, sent by his bishop to shadow the work of the six official exorcists of the Rome diocese. In practical terms that means he is "involved in about three exorcisms a day."

And the learning curve has been steep. "No two cases are alike. That's been a real education for me. The rite of exorcism is not a magic formula," he said.

"It is not the devil or the exorcist who is at the center of this but a person is suffering a lot and who is in need of certain liberation through Christ."

As for correct terminology, is it a demon or a devil? "Demon comes from Greek, devil comes from Latin, either is okay," he explained. What you are dealing with "are fallen angels who were created good."

The early Church Fathers, including St. Jerome and St. Augustine, speculated that these angels rebelled "because of the revelation to them of God's plan of incarnation" and their "repulsion at the notion that God, who is pure spirit and infinite, should become a man." Read more

Sources

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Word on Fire