REPORTS THAT ROME WOULD PUSH EXORCISM POINT UP SERIOUS CRISIS IN ROMAN CHURCH

Is the Vatican going to create more exorcists or not? Reports saying that Rome would encourage dioceses to expand the number of priests who cast out demons was met, nearly three weeks ago, by widespread support (and even relief). At first, a big bravo. Now, confusion (which is the devil's hallmark).

It started when, in an interview with Italy's Petrus news website, Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in Rome, said that the Holy Father -- who is not shy as a spiritual warrior -- planned a push to combat evil manifestations by calling for the designation of an exorcist in every diocese.

For years, Catholics have suffered from a dire and even tragic lack of those with just such expertise.

In the U.S., according to a spokesman for the Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are less than 190 priests who are officially designated as exorcists. The spokesman told Spirit Daily more than a year ago that the conference has no real figure on how many exorcists there are, but when asked if there was one per diocese, he replied: "If that."

From there, the arithmetic is simple: there are 196 Catholic dioceses in the U.S. (counting Eastern Rite), and so the figure for exorcists is below 190 and for all we know perhaps even below a hundred.

There are areas, especially modernistic ones, with no designated exorcist, despite the upsurge in evil. Many dioceses share a single exorcist with neighboring dioceses, if exorcism is assigned at all.

That creates a huge dilemma -- for while full-scale, head-spinning possession may be uncommon, lesser manifestations are rampant: far too many for one exorcist, never mind less than one per diocese, to handle. By contrast there are about 300 attached to the various bishops throughout Italy -- no large number (considering that Italy has as many dioceses) but probably more than twice the estimated U.S. number.

More to the point: from 1989 to 1995, the huge Archdiocese of New York examined just three hundred potential exorcism cases, and exorcisms were performed in only ten percent of the cases, according to Father James J. LeBar, who served as chief New York exorcist.

From 1995 to 2000, about forty cases a year were investigated -- this is an archdiocese of 2.5 million Catholics. That means after initial investigation the official Church, if in keeping with the previous ratio, recognized one case of demonic possession for every 625,000 faithful per year. The figures were smaller yet in Chicago.

There are 2.3 million Catholics in the archdiocese spread over 1,400 square miles -- but it was not until the year 2000 that Chicago got its first official exorcist.

"Thank God we have a Pope who has decided to confront the devil head-on," said Father Amorth, who has long harped on the shortage of exorcists. The priest -- who is the most widely known exorcist in the Church -- also claimed that Pope Benedict would restore the tradition of reciting the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, composed by Pope Leo XIII, at the end of every Mass.

But by year's end, it appeared, alas, that such reports were not true (or that they were at least premature): at this point there is no such sweeping statement forthcoming.

That was according to Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, who flatly denied the Petrus report when he said that "Pope Benedict XVI has no intention of ordering local bishops to bring in garrisons of exorcists to fight demonic possession."

And such is cause for renewed concern.

For in addition to leaving those in need of deliverance without Church help, the backup and backlog of afflicted has caused many Catholics to seek sanctuary in non-denominational evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal churches -- precisely the "sects" Rome has been rallying its forces against, especially in South America.

Just last weekend, we carried the story of a priest battling to keep his flock from evangelicals in Florida. Pentecostals perform exorcism-like deliverance as a matter of routine and do so without the guidance of a central authority -- perhaps serving many well but also, perhaps, also endangering a significant number.

They do not have the priestly power. They do not have the stole. There is thus the chance of exorcistic malpractice.

Still, the Vatican denial left a degree of hope.

Perhaps not "garrisons" -- but  will Benedict XVI eventually signs a paper that edges in this direction, just as his moto proprio encourages Latin Mass (but did not greatly alter that current liturgy)?

It will be interesting to see. His name is Benedict.

This we know: prominent exorcists warn that there are entire large dioceses without a single priest assigned to exorcism and many bishops appear skeptical that there is a problem -- and perhaps skeptical of any such thing as demonic possession. Meanwhile, the prayer of exorcism has been watered down.

Even if bishops do accept the notion of exorcism, with the priest shortage, there simply are not enough clerics to assign specifically to such a task, at least in some situations. And yet assign them we must. The Catholic Church has almost abandoned the notion of deliverance -- despite the many references in Scripture to Christ casting out demons and admonishing His followers to do the same.

That abandonment comes at a time when devilish infiltrations are multiplying.

Oppressions, obsessions, and possessions are rampant, with few to help the afflicted at a time when the Church often relies on psychiatrists to tell it when exorcisms are necessary.

The critical problem with that: most psychiatrists do not even believe in the demonic, and the very nature of their profession -- which places scientific names on spiritual problems -- is in conflict with notions of deliverance.

Is it neurosis -- or is it demonic harassment?

Is it schizophrenia, is it psychosis, is it multiple personality -- or is it possession (in the later case, by a "legion" of spirits)?

These are questions that we must answer.

Our take: all of us, the Church, and even its clerics -- from time to time -- are in need of deliverance.

Paolo Scarafoni, a priest at Vatican University who teaches how to recognize and expel Satan, said exorcists increasingly are in demand because devil worship has become so common, reported ANSA, the Italian news agency. "Priests are being bombarded," Scarafoni said.

We are in crisis. There is Harry Potter. There is the New Age. There is rampant television, movie, and internet occultism. It is a crisis that is not yet beyond hope (nothing is).

But the Church must once more become the Church Militant. Christ came explicitly to break the power of the devil. We are His Church and must set forth against the enemy with all His fantastic power.

And while we're dealing with liturgical matters -- while the Church is encouraging more Latin, while we are pushing for less modern music (and promoting, as Benedict wants, Gregorian chants) -- let us also do what rumor had it three weeks ago: At the end of every Mass, let us at least re-institute the prayer to the Archangel Michael.

[resources: Interview with an Exorcist, An Exorcist Tells His Story, Catholic Spiritual Warfare Prayers, and Pigs in the Parlor]

[see also: More Canon Lawyers Than Exorcists, Priest battles evangelicals, Split in Church Over Exorcism, An Interview with Father Amorth, 'Medjugorje is Fortress Against Devil, Says Chief Exorcist,  and Occult travesty: Toys-r-us sells glow-in-dark Ouija board]

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