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Cipher13 · Dec 30, 2007, 08:09 PM

ROME: The Catholic Church has vowed to "fight the Devil head-on" by training hundreds of priests as exorcists.

Father Gabriele Amorth, 82, the Exorcist in Chief, announced the initiative amid church concerns about growing worldwide interest in Satanism and the occult.

Under plans being considered, each bishop would have a group of priests in his diocese who were specially trained in exorcism and on hand to take action against "extreme Godlessness".

"Thanks be to God that we have a Pope who has decided to fight the Devil head-on," Father Amorth said.

"Now bishops are to be obliged to have a number of established exorcists for their diocese. Too many bishops are not taking this seriously and are not delegating their priests in the fight against the Devil. You have to hunt high and low for a proper, trained exorcist.

"Thankfully Pope Benedict XVI believes in the existence and danger of evil, from the time he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith deals with promoting and safeguarding Catholic beliefs. It was headed by the Pope when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, from 1982 until his election as Pope in 2005.

The Vatican is concerned that young people are being exposed to Satanism through the media, rock music and the internet.

All priests can perform exorcisms, but in reality only a select few are ever called on to do so. The rite involves gestures and prayers to invoke the power of God and stop the "demon" influencing its victim.

Reference: Vatican to train more exorcists - World - smh.com.au

Wow. Just wow. I'm about as speechless as I get.

art_director · Dec 30, 2007, 08:13 PM

question: what do the business cards look like?

Shaddim · Dec 30, 2007, 08:24 PM

Woohoo, that's awesome! Should be really fun to watch!

lpkmckenna · Dec 30, 2007, 08:29 PM

How much education do priests get?

Oisín · Dec 30, 2007, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by art_director

question: what do the business cards look like?

They’re a pain in the neck to walk about with and give out, ’cause they’re all soaking wet from being doused in holy water.

[/lame/best I’ve got]

Shaddim · Dec 30, 2007, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

How much education do priests get?

In that area, almost zero.

art_director · Dec 30, 2007, 08:34 PM

think they'll be available for kids' parties?

Shaddim · Dec 30, 2007, 09:20 PM

I'm afraid this will be similar to giving a 12 y/o a .22 rifle and telling them they're now equipped to hunt bears.

Weyland-Yutani · Dec 30, 2007, 09:50 PM

That news article raises very many questions. However if the Church thinks excorcism is important to focus on, I have to ask: Why not?

art_director · Dec 30, 2007, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

That news article raises very many questions. However if the Church thinks excorcism is important to focus on, I have to ask: Why not?

nice.

now that hunger, aids and poverty are fixed, and peace reigns planet earth, what else are they going to do with their time?

Weyland-Yutani · Dec 30, 2007, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by art_director

nice.

now that hunger, aids and poverty are fixed, and peace reigns planet earth, what else are they going to do with their time?

The Catholic Church is a charity?

Here I thought it was a religious institution and was mostly concerned with spreading the Good Word.

art_director · Dec 30, 2007, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

The Catholic Church is a charity?

Here I thought it was a religious institution and was mostly concerned with spreading the Good Word.

Hmmm ... the Vatican has it wrong on their website.

You best go set 'em straight, big guy.

OldManMac · Dec 30, 2007, 10:35 PM

Nothing to get alarmed about. The Pope is infallible, and now that this tremendously important issue has his undivided attention, the devil will be gone in no time.

art_director · Dec 30, 2007, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by OldManMac

Nothing to get alarmed about. The Pope is infallible, and now that this tremendously important issue has his undivided attention, the devil will be gone in no time.

yep, he'll throw on that bad azz hat, hop in the pope mobile™ and next thing you know the devil will be looking to make a deal.

nonhuman · 11:26 PM

Seems to me that if the Pope is really infallible, then he could just get up and say 'the Devil no longer exists' and it would be so. Kinda like he did with Purgatory.

Weyland-Yutani · Dec 30, 2007, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by art_director

Hmmm ... the Vatican has it wrong on their website.

You best go set 'em straight, big guy.

No it's just you who has it wrong.

Now go play patty cake with InDesign

art_director · Dec 31, 2007, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

No it's just you who has it wrong.

Now go play patty cake with InDesign

did you confuse the green pills and the red pills again?

Jawbone54 · Dec 31, 2007, 01:25 AM

Ever seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose?

art_director · Dec 31, 2007, 01:34 AM

ever been in a turkish prison?

Jawbone54 · Dec 31, 2007, 01:53 AM

Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Strangely, this seemingly random comment kind of stays on topic...barely.

chris v · Dec 31, 2007, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Why, yes I have. It's great exorcise.

silver · Dec 31, 2007, 02:37 AM

It's kind of hard to take the Vatican serious now a days, weren't they the ones that also said that Mary Mag wasn't a prostitute? So that would mean that for all these years the Bible had it wrong. Makes you wonder is there anything else that they got wrong?

Anyway back on point, wasn't the practice of Exorcism not really sanctioned by the Vatican? Don't get me wrong I think It's cool that there is a possibility of the other side being a reality, but then again it's the Vatican where anything goes if they so deem it.

Constantine anyone...

Cheers

Face Ache · Dec 31, 2007, 02:37 AM

Under plans being considered, each bishop would have a group of priests in his diocese who were specially trained in exorcism and on hand to take action against "extreme Godlessness".

There are thousands of Windows PC techies out there who are qualified for this.

chris v · Dec 31, 2007, 02:43 AM

Let the defenestrations, both metaphorical and actual, begin!

Face Ache · Dec 31, 2007, 02:52 AM

They can just reformat and do a clean install.

None of that pea soup troubleshooting.

They could call it Meek Squad.

Kerrigan · Dec 31, 2007, 03:08 AM

You think it's all so funny now, but wait until you're burning in hell, with nothing to read but SuperChic[k]en's blog and the Networking forum for all eternity.

Weyland-Yutani · Dec 31, 2007, 03:23 AM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

You think it's all so funny now, but wait until you're burning in hell, with nothing to read but SuperChic[k]en's blog and the Networking forum for all eternity.

Thanks for the visualization of hell for MacNN'ers!

red rocket · Dec 31, 2007, 07:45 AM

I find it amusing that an institution like the Catholic Church has had two thousand years to research what Satanism and the occult are actually about, and they're still not getting it.

Dork. · Dec 31, 2007, 10:03 AM

Is Charlie Daniels the new Pope or something? Are fiddle lessons part of the training....

On a more serious note, if the rate of exorcisms goes up in the next ten or twenty years, I wonder how much is actually due to increased evil activity, versus how much is due to more people being trained to look for it and seeing it when it isn't there....

OldManMac · Dec 31, 2007, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Dork.

Is Charlie Daniels the new Pope or something? Are fiddle lessons part of the training....

On a more serious note, if the rate of exorcisms goes up in the next ten or twenty years, I wonder how much is actually due to increased evil activity, versus how much is due to more people being trained to look for it and seeing it when it isn't there....

Well, there have been billions of people trained to look for and "see" mythical deities.

chris v · Dec 31, 2007, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Dork.

Is Charlie Daniels the new Pope or something? Are fiddle lessons part of the training....

On a more serious note, if the rate of exorcisms goes up in the next ten or twenty years, I wonder how much is actually due to increased evil activity, versus how much is due to more people being trained to look for it and seeing it when it isn't there....

I think what you'll see is a rise in the expeditious use of satanic occupations as an excuse for bad behavior on the part of the party requesting the exorcism. "I didn't cheat on my wife! Satan inhabited me! Get him out!"

nonhuman · Dec 31, 2007, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Dork.

Is Charlie Daniels the new Pope or something?

If so, I'm entering seminary! Sure beats pickin' cotton.

chris v · Dec 31, 2007, 12:56 PM

I still like the devil's violin solo the best.

Big Mac · Dec 31, 2007, 01:00 PM

Is it an article of faith among Christians that the "Devil" exists as a separate demigod with a will independent of God?

peeb · Dec 31, 2007, 01:04 PM

It depends what you mean by 'Christians'.

hyteckit · Dec 31, 2007, 01:11 PM

Is child molestation part of the Exorcist ritual?

I will molest the devil out of you. Be gone.

Shaddim · Dec 31, 2007, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by silver

It's kind of hard to take the Vatican serious now a days, weren't they the ones that also said that Mary Mag wasn't a prostitute? So that would mean that for all these years the Bible had it wrong. Makes you wonder is there anything else that they got wrong?

More than likely she had only been shacking up with different guys. In the eyes of cloistered members of the clergy however, I'm sure that would seem rather "whorish".

Shaddim · Dec 31, 2007, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Is it an article of faith among Christians that the "Devil" exists as a separate demigod with a will independent of God?

It depends on which denomination you ask. Some view Satan as an entity working outside of the will of God, while others view "the Adversary" as an agent of God who is assigned to test mankind's faith. There is scriptural evidence to support both views.

nonhuman · Dec 31, 2007, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Shaddim

More than likely she had only been shacking up with different guys. In the eyes of cloistered members of the clergy however, I'm sure that would seem rather "whorish".

Sleeping around's just not the same if you ain't getting paid for it...

Shaddim · Dec 31, 2007, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Sleeping around's just not the same if you ain't getting paid for it...

No, I suppose it isn't. Back then it was difficult for a woman to make her way without a man's support, often they weren't married. Sometimes women even lived together without men, in a group it was easier to make ends meet and it wasn't uncommon for there to be sexual relations between them. There were even laws to protect such households, strangely enough. A pair of women could actually own property, whereas a single woman could not.

Sven G · Dec 31, 2007, 01:54 PM

BTW, Father Amorth looks almost like the Devil (or some variation of it) himself!

... Besides his name almost meaning, if read "a morte" in Italian, "to death".

Maybe he should exorcise himself, first of all...?

lpkmckenna · Dec 31, 2007, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by silver

It's kind of hard to take the Vatican serious now a days, weren't they the ones that also said that Mary Mag wasn't a prostitute? So that would mean that for all these years the Bible had it wrong. Makes you wonder is there anything else that they got wrong?

The Bible doesn't say this. Besides, I don't think this tiny detail should be anyone's focus of biblical exegesis.

Technically, the Catholic church only holds the pope, church doctrine, and the Bible to be "infallible" on matters related to salvation. They can otherwise be in error, in matters such as science or history.

Rumor · Dec 31, 2007, 08:34 PM

I wish them the best of luck. The devil is witty, charming, hilarious, and has shows no mercy.

peeb · Dec 31, 2007, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Technically, the Catholic church only holds the pope, church doctrine, and the Bible to be "infallible" on matters related to salvation. They can otherwise be in error, in matters such as science or history.

This is not true.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 31, 2007, 09:15 PM

design219 · Jan 1, 2008, 06:26 PM

Quote from article:

"The Vatican is concerned that young people are being exposed to Satanism through the media, rock music and the internet."

Quote from me:

"I'm more concerned about young people being exposed to priests than media, rock music and the internet."

-

Shaddim · Jan 1, 2008, 06:54 PM

I'm glad that joke gets so much mileage, especially since priests aren't more likely to do those things than anyone else. But, I suppose a child molesting dentist wouldn't get as much press coverage compared to a minister.

nonhuman · Jan 1, 2008, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Shaddim

I'm glad that joke gets so much mileage, especially since priests aren't more likely to do those things than anyone else. But, I suppose a child molesting dentist wouldn't get as much press coverage compared to a minister.

Priests are held to a higher standard, and the fact that the fact that they're susceptible to ordinary human weakness is damaging both to their stature in the community and to the mystique and esteem in which people hold them. Personally I think it's a good thing that people understand that priests are ordinary people too, but at the same time it's not valid to try and dismiss their failings as being just those of ordinary people when people place their trust, their lives, and even their children's souls in the hands of the priesthood..

Shaddim · Jan 1, 2008, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Priests are held to a higher standard, and the fact that the fact that they're susceptible to ordinary human weakness is damaging both to their stature in the community and to the mystique and esteem in which people hold them. Personally I think it's a good thing that people understand that priests are ordinary people too, but at the same time it's not valid to try and dismiss their failings as being just those of ordinary people when people place their trust, their lives, and even their children's souls in the hands of the priesthood..

They shouldn't be. Really and truly, they are just ordinary people. They screw up, like anyone else and they have mental illnesses, like anyone else.

Personally, I think most of the people cat-calling are the ones who enjoy seeing a "holy man" get pulled down. It makes for better drama and target practice.

subego · Jan 1, 2008, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Shaddim

Personally, I think most of the people cat-calling are the ones who enjoy seeing a "holy man" get pulled down. It makes for better drama and target practice.

Well, you can replace "holy man" with "hypocrite" and it would be true for me.