'Emergency' need for exorcists after surge in people dabbling in Satanism and black magic

JackRT

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Some years ago I read an interview with the chief exorcist for the Vatican. One comment of his stuck with me --- he spends almost all his time getting people in touch with medical and/or psychological professionals.
 
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s_gunter

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It's good there are also many non-Catholics who can do this work.
And when they need help, even though they're anti-Catholic, they'll STILL call the Catholic priests/exorcists. Even the Protestants recognize the Catholics are the real experts in this area... ;)
 
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Uncle Tommy

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Some years ago I read an interview with the chief exorcist for the Vatican. One comment of his stuck with me --- he spends almost all his time getting people in touch with medical and/or psychological professionals.
I believe you are speaking of Fr. Gabriele Amorth. He passed just recently and as I understand it most people who are seeking exorcism simply need medical or psychological treatment. I believe possession occurs. I also believe that it is rare.
 
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Uncle Tommy

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And when they need help, even though they're anti-Catholic, they'll STILL call the Catholic priests/exorcists. Even the Protestants recognize the Catholics are the real experts in this area... ;)
This is probably true.
 
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s_gunter

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Really.....competition for exorcism?.....that is what we are reduced to?
Not competition. Reality. Catholic exorcists have merely had more "practice." They literally wrote the book on exorcism...
 
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mark kennedy

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Pope Francis has given support to the work of exorcists in the Catholic church, after a group of priests who claim to save people from demons were officially recognised under canon law. Independent

Exorcism has been practiced a long time in Africa, the intense concentration of paganism seems to breed it. In the west we don't dabble in the occult because most people simply don't believe in it.
 
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Ken Behrens

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And when they need help, even though they're anti-Catholic, they'll STILL call the Catholic priests/exorcists. Even the Protestants recognize the Catholics are the real experts in this area... ;)
I know quite a few of them, seldom do they need help. Sometimes they just call a friend (you know as in "two by two"). And almost none of the ones I know are "anti-" Catholic. Most are just indifferent to it. Maybe I just need to get out more to find the ones you are talking about. On the other hand, maybe not, if the ones you know are "anti-" Catholic.
 
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J Cord

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Pope Francis has given support to the work of exorcists in the Catholic church, after a group of priests who claim to save people from demons were officially recognised under canon law. Independent

Exorcism has been practiced a long time in Africa, the intense concentration of paganism seems to breed it. In the west we don't dabble in the occult because most people simply don't believe in it.

AFIAK, if you are a Christian, by definition you believe in the occult, as God is part of the occult.

From wikipedia:

The occult (from the Latin word occultus "clandestine, hidden, secret") is "knowledge of the hidden".[1] In common English usage, occult refers to "knowledge of the paranormal", as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable",[2] usually referred to as science.
 
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Armoured

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It would make sense to rule out physical/psychological issues before plunging into the world of demon possession........
Yes, it would. It's a shame many enablers leap to "demonic possession" as a first thought.
 
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mark kennedy

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AFIAK, if you are a Christian, by definition you believe in the occult, as God is part of the occult.

From wikipedia:

The occult (from the Latin word occultus "clandestine, hidden, secret") is "knowledge of the hidden".[1] In common English usage, occult refers to "knowledge of the paranormal", as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable",[2] usually referred to as science.

Practicing magic using the occult (hidden, mystery) is strictly forbidden in the Old and New Testaments. What we know of God is not from the occult but from the revelation of God in nature (Romans 1:18-22) and in Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). The occult is hidden knowledge, the gospel is knowledge revealed to anyone who has eyes to see. Very big difference.
 
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J Cord

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Practicing magic using the occult (hidden, mystery) is strictly forbidden in the Old and New Testaments. What we know of God is not from the occult but from the revelation of God in nature (Romans 1:18-22) and in Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). The occult is hidden knowledge, the gospel is knowledge revealed to anyone who has eyes to see. Very big difference.

I was using the standard definition of occult, which I quoted from wikipedia. I just checked some dictionaries as well, and they agree with that definition, and God is definitely part of the "occult" as the word is defined today. from the wikipedia quote: as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable",[2] usually referred to as science.
God certainly isn't measurable by science. Another example: He is certainly a mystery, almost every Christian in existence has a different view of him, as can be seen by the thousands of Christian denominations.

I understand what you're saying, maybe we need to start using a different word?
 
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mark kennedy

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I was using the standard definition of occult, which I quoted from wikipedia. I just checked some dictionaries as well, and they agree with that definition, and God is definitely part of the "occult" as the word is defined today. from the wikipedia quote: as opposed to "knowledge of the measurable",[2] usually referred to as science.
God certainly isn't measurable by science. Another example: He is certainly a mystery, almost every Christian in existence has a different view of him, as can be seen by the thousands of Christian denominations.

I understand what you're saying, maybe we need to start using a different word?
No I used the right word, you simply misapplied it to Christianity and the revelation of God. The occult is the practice of magic, a miracle is a very different thing, equivocating the two is a fallacious argument.
 
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mark kennedy

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Supernatural is a much better word; occult has a lot of negative connotation in today's world......
No, occult is the right word since the practice of magic is mysticism, enlightenment with regards to hidden knowledge and power.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ (Rev. 2:24,25)
The term supernatural is a modern construct, it's just anything beyond naturalistic cause. A miracle may seem supernatural to us but for God it's perfectly natural.
 
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