Last year Pope Francis advised priests not to "hesitate to refer people to an exorcist" should the need arise. This year that need has exploded, according to Newsweek.
"Sicilian priest and trained exorcist Benigno Palilla told Vatican Radio that demand for priests trained in exorcism had tripled in recent years, with 500,000 alleged cases now recorded in Italy alone."
Newsmax reports "Exorcisms are a booming industry in the United Kingdom," according to researcher Ben Ryan.
"There has been an increased focus in the Anglican Church on exorcisms, and partially that's in response to increased demand," he said.
"They have been getting more and more people calling them saying there's demand for this. Outside the established church, there's a huge increase which you can see with your own eyes. If you walk down the Old Kent Road there are flyers and stickers (for exorcists) everywhere," Ryan said.
To what do they attribute this sinister surge?
Benigno Palilla (aka The Exorcist) pointed to the popularity of fortune tellers, tarot card readers, and other soothsaying mystics in Italy.
"Partaking in such sorcery unwittingly opens the door to the devil and possession," he warned, also citing psychological problems as the root cause.
With demonic possessions soaring, the Vatican plans to train new exorcists to meet the demand, because, according to Palilla, "A self-taught exorcist certainly meets errors."
His solution? An Exorcist Apprenticeship, of course.
A wise man once said:" Recognize Satan's strategies and guard against clever counterfeits, because he will be at work in the last days. Beware of any teaching that distorts the message of Jesus as found in the Bible." -- Greg Laurie, pastor
"Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead" -- 1 Timothy 4: 1-2.
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