The demand for exorcism is rising to new heights

Demand for exorcists is at record levels, says a leading demon hunter who blames human nature as much as the devil for the trend.

Father Chad Ripperger, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Denver, told the Post that there are no more raging demons on Earth.

The fault lies primarily with the people themselves. They blatantly ignore the teachings of the Church and instead act on their own dark impulses.

“The demons become more powerful as more people do bad things,” Father Ripperger said. “If a person willingly involves himself in these evil actions, Satanism or witchcraft, these actions make him susceptible to the influence of Satan, so that he is easily manipulated and can be enticed to do even more evil things.

“Unfortunately, people today do not believe that their actions have consequences. »

During an exorcism, the priest – armed with holy water, the crucifix and a Bible – reads prayers and scriptures to the “possessed” while ordering the demon to leave. The person may need to be restrained during the session because the priest’s presence may irritate the demon, Ripperger said, but “only a small percentage – about 10 percent – of cases are as dramatic as those depicted in Hollywood.”

The 1973 film “The Exorcist” terrified audiences around the world. In it, a young girl named Regan MacNeil, played by Linda Blair, underwent an exorcism during which she projectile vomited a disgusting green substance, levitated, turned her head to face backwards, spoke in ancient languages, developed startling facial scars, and spoke with a demonic voice.

Today, Catholic Church experts say there are about 150 priests in the United States trained in the practice of exorcism.

That number has increased 650% since 2020, when only about 20 priests were trained for the position, Ripperger said.

On March 13, Pope Leo XIV welcomed the world’s most prominent exorcists to the Vatican. They would have warned him against the terrifying global rise of “occultism, esotericism and Satanism”.

Priests of the International Association of Exorcists have called on him to ensure that every diocese in the world has one or more properly trained exorcist priests, according to EWTN Vatican.

The new exorcists are already being trained to handle the growing number of desperate families seeking help for disturbing and inexplicable behavior, according to reports from Catholic priests and Church officials.

Other Catholic priests involved in the phenomenon — the Rev. Vincent Lampert, the designated exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and Monsignor Stephen Rosetti, an expert in psychological and spiritual well-being based in Washington, D.C. — are also seeing an increase in cases.

In 2018, Lampert said he received a staggering 1,700 calls for help. CNN contacted all 196 Catholic dioceses and archdioceses in the United States for a recent report. Of the 48 that responded, 25 dioceses – or more than 50% – reported a recent increase in exorcism requests.

The Rev. Dan Todd, a trained exorcist at Our Lady of Divine Mercy Anglican Church in High Bridge, New Jersey, told the Post: “The devil is out there, but people do bad things too. Additionally, psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder can mimic demonic possession.

“About 99% of cases are due to mental illness. »

In this case, special attention to mental health must be given “to make sure they get the help they need”, he added.

According to leading exorcists, signs of possession include:

• Speak in languages ​​they don’t know. Have knowledge of ancient Latin, Hebrew or Greek, without having studied them.
• Knowledge of the unknown. A person possessed by the demon will somehow know personal details never revealed publicly.

• Immense strength. “I saw a woman throw a refrigerator across the room,” Todd said.
• Psychological manipulation. The demons will try to destabilize the exorcists.

• Dislike of religious symbols like crosses and holy water.
• Sudden and extreme anger, obscene hand gestures and excessive profanity.

• Hallucinations, obsessive thoughts and suicidal ideation.

Experts also give advice on how people can protect themselves from demons.

• Prayer and fasting.
• Attend religious services and receive communion.
• Study the Bible.
• Confession and repentance.
• Stay away from people you know are bad or commit crimes.
• Call on your guardian angel, who is more powerful than the devil himself.

“Confession is the most powerful way to keep your soul clean. Even in the middle of an exorcism, if a person confesses their sins, the demon will disappear,” Todd said.