MUSLIMS are seeking out Catholic priests to cast out their demons amid a global surge in demand for exorcism, a conference at a university with links to the Vatican has been told with some priests said to be using smartphones to get rid of evil spirits.
By CIARAN MCGRATH
In Italy, which is home to roughly 400 exorcists, about 500,000 people have claimed to have been possessed in the course of the last ten years, representing a three-fold increase on previous decades.
Father Anthony Barratt, a British priest who was among those attending the event at the Regina Apostolorum, insisted: “Demand is absolutely growing.”
Albanian priest Cardinal Ernest Simoni told almost 300 delegates he personally had performed exorcisms on Muslims.
He said: “Jesus came for everyone.”
Giuseppe Ferrari, who is said to be an authority expert on the subject of exorcism, said: “I don’t see why we cannot do it for Muslims if they ask.”
Father Andre Francisco Fernandes, an Indian priest based in the United Arab Emirates, said several Muslims had approached him for help.
He added: “They say, ‘Someone has done black magic to harm me, can you help?’”
Cardinal Simoni added that priests were now making use of the latest technology to help them keep up with demand.
He said: “There are priests who carry out exorcisms on their mobile phones — that’s possible thanks to Jesus.”
Professor Ferrari clarified this by suggesting that priests only used their phones to pray with victims of possession.
He said: “Priests pray with people on the phone to calm them down but if you are not there you cannot control the physical aspects of an exorcism.”