The Vatican is training exorcists to meet Satan's threat head on, writes Paddy Agnewin Rome
If you ring Padre Gabriele Amorth, his kindly octogenarian voice comes back to you in reassuring tones on his answer machine. If you are looking for an appointment with an exorcist, please ring back on Monday evenings between 18.30 and 19.30. If you do not live in the parish of Rome, please get in contact with your local bishop. God bless you.
Padre Amorth is not only an exorcist for the archdiocese of Rome, he is also the founder of an international association of exorcists. In the last month, the busy Padre Amorth caused a major stir with an interview (in the online news service, Petrus, www.papanews.it ) in which he seemed to suggest that Pope Benedict XVI wanted more priests to be trained in the complex art of exorcism: "Thanks be to God we have a Pope who has decided to fight the devil head on. Too many bishops are not taking this seriously. You have to hunt high and low for a properly trained exorcist."
Furthermore, Lucifer alias Beelzebub alias Satan alias the Devil has got into some very high places. In another interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Padre Amorth suggested that the Evil One was active and at work in holy shrines such as Lourdes, Fatima and even in the Holy See itself.
His words did not go unnoticed. Many Italian dailies jumped on the story, with some of them even suggesting that we could expect a new "Istruttoria Pontifica" (a document from the Pope) calling for every diocese in the Catholic word to arm itself with at least one exorcist with whom to help those "sick in spirit".
IN THE HOLY See, the profusion of exorcism stories generated just a little bewilderment, not to say frustration. After a few days, senior Vatican spokesman Padre Federico Lombardi was forced to issue a sharp denial: "As far as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Divine Cult are concerned, the Holy Father has taken no such initiative."
Likewise, reports that "the Vatican's university", Regina Apostolorum, had responded to the Pope's concerns by offering a new course in exorcism were just a little wide of the mark. Firstly, the Regina Apostolorum is run by the Legionaries of Christ, not the Vatican, and secondly, it has been doing a course in exorcism for the last five years.
Fr Paolo Scarafoni, attached to Regina Apostolorum, points out that the course is not intended to prepare specialised exorcists, but rather to give seminarians a grounding in the whole field of mental disturbances, ranging from psychiatric problems to demonic "possession".
Fr Scarafoni points out that, of 100 people who turn to their parish priest claiming to be "possessed", perhaps only 2 per cent have problems that relate to Satan. The others, he suggests, often need help that is more psychiatric than spiritual.
"Don Pietro", a Turin-based exorcist priest, agrees, telling daily newspaper La Repubblica last week: "I haven't come across even one person possessed by the devil. But I have
come across a lot of pain, physical and
mental. Huge pain. People come to me after going to confession to their own priest and
they tell me that their head is howling. They have a problem inside and I have learned that for many of them, what they need most is a good doctor. Indeed, I work closely with a psychiatrist friend of mine."
That said, however, Christians do clearly believe that in certain situations, at certain moments, people do become possessed. They might not spit out nails, froth at the mouth and babble strange chants, but their "demonic" problem exists and may require an exorcist.
It is estimated that, in Italy, more than half a million people look for the help of the Italian Church's 300 official exorcists every year. Recently, Cardinal Severino Poletto of Turin admitted that in his archdiocese there was an ever-increasing demand for exorcists - so much so that Turin has five of them.
Perhaps Pope Benedict should not be too surprised by the recent misunderstandings and speculation linking him and exorcism. After all, back in September 2005, at the beginning of his pontificate, he sent a message to the National Convention of Italian Exorcists: "Supported by the vigilant attention of their bishops and the never-ending prayer of the Christian community, exorcists exercise an important ministry inside the Church."