Clerical kidnappings, elections, and COVID dominate Catholic news in Americas
- Apr 13, 2021
One kind of ministry, by its nature but also church mandate, shuns the limelight and remains discreet: Exorcism.
The guidelines come in response to a perception that there are too many rogue operators, both clerical and lay, who claim to perform exorcisms but who aren’t authorized to do so.
The Catholic Church, through its priests, deacons and lay experts, must do more to listen to, comfort and assist those who feel troubled, tempted, cursed or possessed, said an Italian exorcist.
A California-based exorcist says the ministry of exorcism and deliverance is a ministry of healing. “It is not the drama of Hollywood, although there is drama. This is primarily a ministry of healing. We have a responsibility as church to provide pastoral care,” Father Gary Thomas said.
An 80-year-old Mexican exorcist, Father Francisco Lopez Sedano, has conducted at least 6,000 exorcisms and claims that as a consequence the devil is afraid of him. Sedano talks about the three main things that he has learned though his experience as an exorcist. The first? don’t be fooled. The Devil is a person, not a thing.
Granted, “Satanism” as it’s expressed today is often little more than a form of adolescent rebellion, and the threat it poses to Christianity in places such as Oklahoma shouldn’t be exaggerated, but that’s no reason for Christians to dismiss it altogether.