Spirituality

Priests conduct nine-hour exorcism in Italy

By T.K. Randall
December 17, 2021

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) While you might be forgiven for thinking that the exorcism is a concept relegated to the annals of history, these controversial rituals can and do still happen, even in developed nations where belief in demonic possession and the power of exorcists to remove them is still a very real thing indeed.

Earlier this month, the Italian media reported on the case of a young woman who had begun to exhibit violent and 'blasphemous' behavior that her mother had put down to 'demonic influence'.

She was taken to the Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico in Northern Italy where she remained for some nine hours and was subjected to an arduous exorcism ritual involving four priests.

"It was frightening, horrible, also because it alternated three different voices," a witness stated.Soon enough, reports of screams from within the church prompted calls to the police, resulting in the arrival of two patrols and an ambulance crew, however they all chose to remain outside.

According to reports, the girl fell asleep at around 8:30 in the evening, which the priests interpreted as a sign that the demonic influence had finally been exorcised from her.

She was then bundled into a car so that she could be taken home.

The biggest problem with cases like this is the fact that it is quite possible - as the girl's father believed - that she was suffering from mental illness and was not 'possessed' as her mother had claimed.

If so, undergoing a ritual like this is not likely to have helped her one bit.

Source: Il Giornale di Vicenza

Tags: Exorcism