appears to be following a global trend some say has been inspired by the leadership of Pope Francis in acknowledging the presence of the devil. And it's my role and my team's to discern what it is. People could be quite functional but once they get into a sacred arena, such as a church, or participate in some element of parish, they'll begin to manifest or they'll begin to get sick or they'll begin to show other kinds of signs that something is amiss. "I could conduct one or two exorcisms a week for demonic attachment (as opposed to full possession). Almost every free night that I have is taken up with exorcisms," he said. "I am a full-time pastor and this is a very intense ministry. Thomas, who works with a team including trained mental health professionals, said in the last 10 years he has carried out 50 to 60 exorcisms in the U.S., but sometimes his requests for exorcism have come from outside the U.S., most frequently from India and Africa. These are the local ones (in my parish)." "And sometimes they do have a demonic problem. "They're sick in one way or another," he explained. Those seeking help, he said, are "desperate" people who have had no success with psychology and psychiatry. "Often the stories are very complicated and many (seeking help) have been suffering for a long time" he said of the inquiries for exorcism that come to him. The book would later be developed into a gripping film of the same name starring Anthony Hopkins. Thomas, who is the official exorcist of the Diocese of San Jose in northern California, trained in Rome to become an exorcist and it was his experience in that training that became the subject of The Rite published in 2009. Two of America's most active exorcists say there is now a growing demand for their services as more unchurched Americans have been turning to them for help with demonic oppression, possession and other dark spiritual activity.įather Gary Thomas, whose training in Rome is recounted in Matt Baglio's book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, and Father Vincent Lampert, whose work was depicted on the Syfy series "Paranormal Witness" told The Telegraph that a confluence of conditions, including an expanding spiritual void in the lives of Americans, the diminishing authority of the Church, and the failure of the mental healthcare system has resulted in increased requests for spiritual intervention.īoth priests, who have more than 10 years of experience each as exorcists, say an overwhelming number of requests that they get from people seeking help are regularly diagnosed as actual manifestations of demonic attachment, infestation, vexation or full possession.Īnd Lampert of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis explained that many of the requests for help are not coming from practicing Christians but the unchurched segment of the population. Actor Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas in a scene from New Line Cinema's psychological thriller "The Rite." | (Photo: Facebook/The Rite)
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