Exorcisms
Exorcistate - many thanks for your reply and the interesting quote you provided.
I note the source of your quote as being The Universe Magazine - not one of my favourite reads - so had never come across such views on the Catholic Church's attitude towards exorcism. Certainly, if the Catholic Church is not embarrased by exorcisms - then it should be..........
I am sure you'll agree that The Guardian newspaper is a decent source of information. Has no religious biase like certain other sources. Perhaps the following will interest you........
"........despite such progressive approaches, concern about exorcism remains high among mental health charities, health professionals and among senior Church figures. There are particular fears about charismatic Anglican groups that take a fundamentalist approach to demonic possession.
"I saw a brother and sister who had been exorcised by a cousin from Scotland after their parents' funeral," said Mr Ryder. "He had heard them talking about transcendental meditation and believed this could have let evil spirits enter them. He exorcised them both but the girl had a particularly unpleasant reaction, retching and vomiting. They both felt they had been spiritually abused.
"I believe if you shout out the names of spirits and demons to be powerful you create a response in the 'host' like in the film The Exorcist."
Dr David McDonald, a psychiatrist who has advised the Church of England, said this "Bible-bashing approach" did not accept anything other than a spiritual cause to people's distress: "I have seen clients who were told they're possessed and an exorcism was performed but they felt no better. They believe they must be really evil if God can't help them, which can be terribly damaging."
In a survey last year by the Mental Health Foundation, entitled Spirituality and mental health: voices and realities, several respondents said they had been damaged by exorcism. The charity warned that the notion of demonic possession could be extremely damaging when linked to people with a label of mental illness and "risked conflating notions of evil and ill health."
Strategies for Living project coordinator at the MHF, Vicky Nicholls said: "One respondent from a Pentecostal background said a priest had placed their hands on them and said 'Let the demons be gone!' Most felt such practices had contributed to their mental health problems."
The Rev Stephen Parsons, author of Ungodly Fear: Fundamentalist Christianity and the abuse of power, said: "The charismatic movement wants to demonise mental illness so they can deal with it through exorcism. They say the Lord has given them a special insight that science and medicine cannot offer. But persuading vulnerable people that they are possessed gives you a great deal of power over them. It's a form of emotional abuse."
Mr Parsons said sexual abuse, homosexuality and unwanted pregnancy were often seen as routes for demonic possession. "Imagine telling someone who has been raped they're now possessed - that is terribly abusive."
[Guardian - Weds May 2 2001]
I think this explains my concerns about maverick priests inflating their own egos through other people's suffering.
As far as The Catholic church's modern attitude to Exorcism is concerned......
"The ritual of exorcism is more cautiously employed by the Catholic Church at present than it once was. When reviewing the conditions for demonic possession that were once listed one can easily see many of the symptoms are those of epilepsy, hysteria, schizophrenia, and other psychological disorders. So priests are cautioned to be as certain as possible the person is truly demonically possessed before performing the ritual."
[Guardian 7 Nov 2001]
or
"Officially, the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church refuse to comment on the phenomenon although they admit that every diocese has dedicated staff experienced in dealing with exorcism, deliverance and the paranormal.
Church spokespeople insist that cases are rare, embarrassed by critics who claim that the whole subject is nothing but medieval superstition and that the churches should have nothing to do with any of it."
[Guardian 12 October 2001]
Perhaps the Catholic Church's reported attitude is flexible. When addressing a previously converted and faithfull audience (i.e. via a Catholic newspaper) there is no need to hide exorcism. When dealing with the world at large, the Catholic Church's attitude is far more cagey, for fear of being mocked by the general public.
Out of interest, Exorcistate, have you ever been involved in an exorcism?
