The Devil Makes Them Do It

“A modern pope gets old school on the Devil.” Those words headlined a Washington Post story last spring probing Pope Francis’ belief that Satan is active in the world. As much as he’s been hailed as a modernizing force in the church, Francis, the paper reported, “has not only dwelled far more on Satan in sermons and speeches than his recent predecessors have, but also sought to rekindle the Devil’s image as a supernatural entity with the forces of evil at his beck and call.”

And while other religions speak of demonic possession—The Dybbuck is a classic drama based on the doctrine in Judaism—the Post reported that the Vatican detects a recent resurgence of Catholic exorcisms. In June, Francis officiallyrecognized the International Association of Exorcists (IAE), a group of priests with members in 30 countries.

But the uptick in exorcisms has proven controversial. The Post quoted a Catholic theologian who criticized Francis for trucking in superstition. More troubling, Europe has seen an increase in reported cases of exorcists who are not sanctioned by the Catholic Church abusing children believed to be possessed by witchcraft.

Source: BU Today