DECEMBER 2, 2012
To deal with demand,Catholic Church sets up exorcism hotline
Press one for demonic possessions, press two for visions of Hell… Catholic Church sets up exorcist hotline
- The hotline has been set up in Milan, Europe’s biggest Roman Catholic diocese, to cope with growing demand for exorcisms
- People ringing the hotline will be able to schedule a visit from one of a team of 12 on-call priests
PUBLISHED: 09:23 GMT, 30 November 2012
Help is at hand for Catholics in Milan who need to ward off evil at short notice.
The diocese has set up an exorcist hotline to cope with growing demand for assistance in dealing with potential cases of demonic possession.
People contacting the switchboard will be able to schedule a visit from one of a team of 12 priests on call to deal with emergency exorcisms.
I came as soon as you called: In the 1973 film The Exorcist a mother enlists the help of priests when her 12-year-old daughter becomes possessed by a demon
Monsignor Angelo Mascheroni, who has been chief exorcist in Milan since 1995, said the service had been set up in response to increasing numbers of requests from worshippers, and added that the number of exorcists appointed in the diocese had doubled over the past 15 years.
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The priest, who described how one exorcist was dealing with as many as 120 cases every day, said the switchboard is manned from Monday to Friday between 2.30pm and 5pm.
‘People in need can call and will be able to find a priest in the same area who doesn’t have to travel too far,’ the Monsignor told Italy’s Chiesa di Milano website.
While for film fans the word exorcism conjures images of priests trying to drive a demon spirit from a levitating Linda Blair, Monsignor Mascheroni said that the most important role of the diocese’s team was ‘listening and consolation’.
He added that, in his experience, instances of ‘real diabolical phenomena’ were rare, according to a report in The Independent.
The Monsignor said many of the callers were exasperated parents struggling to cope with a rebellious child refusing to go to school or experimenting with drugs.
‘In reality it’s not a demon, but when they’re 18 years old young people don’t want to be told what to do,’ he said.
The Monsignor said psychiatric disorders were more likely to be to blame for truly unusual behaviour than possession.
Possession: Monsignor Angelo Mascheroni said that instances of ‘real diabolical phenomena’ were very rare
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism’.
These days, Catholic officials regard genuine possession as an extremely rare phenomenon, with modern exorcisms more likely to involve offering prayers or counselling to a person deemed to be in need of spiritual help.
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The Catholic Church has established an exorcist hotline in Milan,its biggest diocese,to cope with demand.Monsignor Angelo Mascheroni,the dioceses chief exorcist since 1995,said the curia had also appointed twice as many exorcists to cope with a doubling in the number of requests for help over 15 years.
We get many requests for names,addresses and phone numbers;thats why we have set up a switchboard in the curia from Monday to Friday from 2.30pm to 5pm, he told the chiesadimilano website.
People in need can call and will be able to find a priest in the same area who doesnt have to travel too far. And to that end,the number of demon-busting priests on call has increased from six to 12.
The Monsignor said he knew of one exorcist who had been seeing up to 120 people a day.But with so little time per client he was only able to offer a quick blessing.Thats not enough, he said.There should be two to four appointments a day,no more,otherwise its too much.
Its not clear why the number of suspected possessions has risen so sharply.But Monsignor Mascheroni said that part of the increase might be explained by the rising numbers of parents having difficulty controlling disobedient teenagers.
Usually the parents call (because they are) concerned about a child who wont go to school or whos taking drugs orrebelling.In reality its not a demon,but when theyre 18 years old young people dont want to be told what to do.
The Monsignor said that all those who sought help were welcomed.But he added: The real diabolical phenomena,at least in my experience,are very rare. He said that mental phenomena,mental and psychiatric disorders were often to blame for unusual behaviour.THE INDEPENDENT
We get many requests for names,addresses and phone numbers;thats why we have set up a switchboard in the curia from Monday to Friday from 2.30pm to 5pm, he told the chiesadimilano website.
People in need can call and will be able to find a priest in the same area who doesnt have to travel too far. And to that end,the number of demon-busting priests on call has increased from six to 12.
The Monsignor said he knew of one exorcist who had been seeing up to 120 people a day.But with so little time per client he was only able to offer a quick blessing.Thats not enough, he said.There should be two to four appointments a day,no more,otherwise its too much.
Its not clear why the number of suspected possessions has risen so sharply.But Monsignor Mascheroni said that part of the increase might be explained by the rising numbers of parents having difficulty controlling disobedient teenagers.
Usually the parents call (because they are) concerned about a child who wont go to school or whos taking drugs orrebelling.In reality its not a demon,but when theyre 18 years old young people dont want to be told what to do.
The Monsignor said that all those who sought help were welcomed.But he added: The real diabolical phenomena,at least in my experience,are very rare. He said that mental phenomena,mental and psychiatric disorders were often to blame for unusual behaviour.THE INDEPENDENT
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