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| The statue of Christ that is carried around Scicli at Easter |
A day or so ago, some good folk in nearby Scicli, having heard several bloodcurdling screams coming from an apartment in their street, did what most of us would do and alerted the police. One can only suppose that they were relieved to learn that no burglary, murder or other crime had been committed and that the cause of the noise was.... an exorcism. Or perhaps they just shrugged their shoulders and uttered, "Pazienza", this supposedly being the second exorcism to which police had been called in their city in the past two weeks, a detail which the local press has been enjoying immensely.
It was first reported that this second "exorcism" was being carried out to help a teenage boy, but today the priest involved has denied this, saying that he had been asked to go to the apartment because the boy was in deep distress and that the Carabinieri were already there, along with an ambulance crew. The priest did his best to calm the boy and one feels for him and his parents.
As I understand it, in Catholicism exorcism of a person can only be carried out by a priest authorised to perform the "rite" and with the express permission of his bishop. There has to have been a medical examination to exclude the possibility that the person involved is mentally or physically ill.
A few years ago, someone did something bad to me and at that time I figured I needed all the help I could get. So when a religious friend brought round some holy water which had been blessed by a priest authorised to carry out exorcisms and started sprinkling it around my house, presumably to cast out any lurking demons, I decided to accept gracefully. Strangely enough, things have gone a lot better since then.
6 comments:
I really can't make a comment....because I don't know what to say. It's not my belief...but it is a belief of many others...that's all I can say...
Very interesting. A family member was once asked to perform an exorcism on a house (and they did it too in the hope it would comfort the owners). It must be a very tricky situation for a priest when they get asked these things.
Did the first exorcism work?
Fair enough, Lee. Thank you, Laruchka. Yes, it must be very tricky indeed. No idea, WW.
I'm very unsure about exorcisms but i do believe there are times when they are necessary but not as often and as easily as some Christians would have you think!
That would probably be my view tyoo, Liz.
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