Rise of Evil Influences Sparks Call for More Exorcists
The world's leading authorities on exorcism see a desperate need for more exorcists due to increased demonic activity that takes various forms from evil influences to actual demonic possessions. The situation is worsened by the surge of pagan practices, failures in mental health care and a spiritual void.
Psychologist Valter Cascioli, a scientific consultant to the International Association of Exorcists, lamented the lack of priests capable of fighting the forces of evil.
"The lack of exorcists is a real emergency. There is a pastoral emergency as a result of a significant increase in the number of diabolical possessions that exorcist priests are confronting," he said.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
While the number of exorcists has risen in recent years, Cascioli thinks this is not enough in this age of the internet which has fueled interest in black magic, Satanism and the occult. He considers it dangerous to underestimate the phenomenon caused by a decline in faith and values.
American exorcist Fr. Vincent Lampert also noted an increasing number of people opening themselves to evil.
"The problem isn't that the devil has upped his game, but more people are willing to play it," National Catholic Register quoted him as saying.
These observations are shared by Pope Leo XII Institute president Msgr. John Esseff, who has seen a correlation between the acceptance of sin with increased demonic activity.
"The bishops saw the need for more trained exorcists because so many cases were being referred from all over the country to the dioceses that had exorcists," he said.
Founded in 2012, the Milwaukee-based institute seeks to address supernatural phenomenon in the United States. It offers a two-year program for priests and deacons on healing, exorcism and deliverance. The first batch of 55 exorcists graduated in 2015 while the second class of 52 graduates will finish this fall.
