4.19.2008
600,000 "Satanists" in Rome?
While America is distracted by the Pope's visit, the Christian Broadcasting Network (home of Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club") spotlights the growing popularity of exorcisms in Italy (a topic I've touched on before).
"In this predominantly Catholic nation the devil is gaining a foothold. "There is a greater openness towards the devil," Rev. Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's chief exorcist, said. In fact, Rome has been called the most 'satanized' city in Italy. "Satanism and the occult are in fashion," said Father Pedro Barrajon, a professor of theology."
None of this rhetoric is new or unusual (indeed, the good Rev. Amorth seems willing to talk to any news outlet that will give him the time of day), but what did draw my eye was an un-sourced statistic thrown out by the CBN reporter.
"There are an estimated 800 satanic cults operating in the country, with more than 600,000 followers. And their numbers are growing."
Over half a million Satanists? Really? That seems like an awfully big number. To get some perspective, I checked in with theistic Satanist Diane Vera's web site, where a whole section has been devoted to Satanic panic in Italy. According to Vera, these high numbers may be including Satanists, occultists of all stripes, Pagans, psychics, and other "heretical" individuals (teenage metal heads, for example).
"Among Christians, including Catholics, an increased emphasis on demons and exorcism leads inevitably to an increased fear of all non-Christian spiritual practices ... All the "We're not Satanists" disclaimers in the world will not stop conservative Christians from associating non-Christian spiritualities - especially the more "magical" spiritualities - with demons and/or with Satanism. Even in the eyes of those relatively few conservative Christians who are well-informed about the beliefs of Pagans, occultists, etc."
This view is backed up by the blog Bartholomew's Notes on Religion, who dug into census data and found that there were only 240 or so "organized" Satanists (as of 2003).
"Therefore, despite the many more relevant numbers often supplied by mass media - those who propose such numbers should, of course, be capable of supporting their statements with evidence as far as we can see from the numbers right now - the groups of organized satanists only represent an insignificant percentage of the Italian population even if, of course, the experience lived can be extremely hard for the people involved. The organized satanism is therefore a phenomenon that is often overrated, as a matter of fact, it concerns only a few thousands of people all over the world."
Taking all this into account, it becomes clear that exorcisms aren't simply a tool against "demonic possession". No heroic Father Merrin casting out the demon in little Regan. Instead, we have a struggle against all forms of non-Catholic thought. If you embrace a theology outside the bounds of the dominant monotheisms, or simply want to divorce your Catholic husband, you are demon-haunted and ripe for spiritual torture-tactics.
"Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said."
The rhetorical slight-of-hand that turns all non-Catholic thinking into demon-possession hasn't escaped the notice of Pagan groups around the world, who condemn this new commitment to "curing" people who may simply be happier as Pagans.
So while Benedict XVI makes nice at an inter-religious gathering in America, those under his purview continue to ignore his wish to "discuss our differences with calmness and clarity", and instead label anyone in Rome rejecting Christianity as "Satanists". But then, perhaps Benedict's call for "sincere dialogue and cooperation" was only extended to the religions big enough to be invited to the party. Pagans, Heathens, and assorted polytheists, on the outs since the time of Theodosius, need not apply.
Labels: Catholicism, exorcisms, Italy, occult, Paganism, Rome, Satanic Panic, Satanism
2.19.2008
Exorcism Craze Drawing Criticism in Australia
Last week I noted a recent story about the rise in popularity of exorcisms in Europe. In the article, a Polish Catholic priest laid out the types of people ripe for such a service.
"Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said."
In other words, Pagans need exorcisms! Sadly, it seems this trend towards spiritual warfare isn't isolated to Catholic strongholds in Europe. A Catholic news service reports a sharp increase of exorcisms in Australia, and it looks like they are rounding up the usual (demonically possessed) suspects.
"One priest who asked not to be identified said he presently carried out exorcisms at least once every two weeks. 'Being possessed by a demon is terrifying in one's mental and emotional life,' he said to the Courier Mail. 'Some of these manifestations are extremely powerful, causing people to be plagued by disturbances. They hear voices and see hideous creatures in their sleep. There has been a recruitment of pagan practices, and it's sheer poison ... We are not very plentiful and certainly need more of us to cope with the big occult following that is emerging today,' he said."
But Australia's Pagans don't seem to be taking these slurs laying down. Australia's Pagan Awareness Network has released a statement blasting the Catholic Church for attempting to create a "moral panic" regarding Pagan religion.
"'A pagan ritual is no more dangerous than going to a church, a temple, or a mosque,' says PAN president David Garland. 'The Catholic Church is once again trying to create a moral panic about devil-worship and the occult. This kind of fear-mongering belongs in the Middle Ages, not in the 21st century. Exorcisms endanger lives and physical safety. Anyone worried that they might be possessed by spirits should seek referral to a psychiatrist or other mental health expert, not a witch-doctor in a priest's collar. The Catholic Church should ban this barbaric practice ... Mr Garland said that according to 2006 Census, there were more than 40,000 Pagans of different denominations across Australia, 'all remarkably unaffected by demonic possession'."
The Australian manifestation of this exorcism trend should be understood from the perspective of demographics. According to census data, Christianity is in the decline, and could lose its statistical superiority in the next 30-40 years. So it is only natural that some denominations will start to resort to more extreme measures of adherent retention. As numbers continue to decline, and some churches resort to spiritual "scorched earth" strategies, you can expect more belligerence and hostility to emerge from religious minorities.
Labels: Australia, Catholicism, Christianity, exorcisms, New Age, occult, Paganism
2.11.2008
Pagans Need Exorcisms
The Washington Post's Craig Whitlock reports on the recent rise in popularity of Catholic exorcisms. This new trend, which is taking root in predominantly Catholic areas of Europe, has allowed for a large spike in Church-trained practitioners.
"About 70 priests serve as trained exorcists in Poland, about double the number of five years ago. An estimated 300 exorcists are active in Italy. Foremost among them: the Rev. Gabriele Amorth, 82, who performs exorcisms daily in Rome and is dean of Europe's corps of demon-battling priests ... Amorth and other priests said the resurgence in exorcisms has been encouraged by the Vatican, which in 1999 formally revised and upheld the rite for the first time in almost 400 years."
This new openness towards training exorcists seems to go hand-in-hand with the Catholic Church's recent traditionalist turn, including loosening regulations for the performance of the Tridentine Mass (aka the Latin Rite), and a more strident tone towards non-monotheistic faiths. Which perhaps explains Rev. Wieslaw Jankowski's guidelines for which demographics most need the rite of exorcism.
"Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said."
In other words, Pagans need exorcisms! But don't worry, we will be in good company, since women who want to get a divorce also seem to need some demons ejected.
"According to what I could perceive, the devil was present and acting in an obvious way," he said. "How else can you explain how a wife, in the space of a couple of weeks, could come to hate her own husband, a man who is a good person?"
Yes, I couldn't think of a single reason why a woman would suddenly want to get a divorce. There is no way physical or emotional abuse, finding out about an affair, or simply realizing that the love is gone, could factor into it. It must be demons. Sadly, this woman's "demons" seem too strong for the exorcist, and subsequent exorcisms haven't been successful in making the woman want to go back to her husband (imagine that).
Is this new trend towards exorcisms a way to engage people in the power of the Church? Reframing all urges towards non-Catholic thoughts and practices as a struggle against evil powers, instead of acknowledging that they may be merely disillusioned with what the traditional monotheisms have to offer? It could be that this new vogue for casting out demons is actually a policy of retention, after all, would you want to leave the Church when your the focal point for spiritual warfare?
Labels: Catholicism, Christianity, exorcisms, New Age, occult, Paganism
