--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "lurkernomore20002000" <steve.sun...@...> wrote: > > > An important lesson to remember during this subprime mess. There was an > article about the person who did not pay their exorcist, and they were > repossessed. >
That warrants a <CHUCKLE> > Just sayin. > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican > > From The Times - March 11, 2010 > > Richard Owen in Rome > > > > [Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in the diocese of Rome poses in Rome, > > 2005.] Giulio Napolitano, AFP / Getty Images Rev. Gabriele Amorth, who > > served as > > the Catholic Church's chief exorcist for > > 25 years, claims the devil has infiltrated > > the Vatican. > > Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that > > that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican", according to the Holy > > See's chief exorcist. > > > > Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican's chief exorcist > > for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic > > possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration > included > > power struggles at the Vatican as well as "cardinals who do not > believe > > in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon". > > > > He added: "When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' [a phrase coined by > > Pope Paul VI in 1972] in the holy rooms, it is all true > including > > these latest stories of violence and paedophilia." > > > > He claimed that another example of satanic behaviour was the Vatican > > "cover-up" over the deaths in 1998 of Alois Estermann, the then > > commander of the Swiss Guard, his wife and Corporal Cedric Tornay, a > > Swiss Guard, who were all found shot dead. "They covered up everything > > immediately," he said. "Here one sees the rot". > > > > A remarkably swift Vatican investigation concluded that Corporal > Tornay > > had shot the commander and his wife and then turned his gun on himself > > after being passed over for a medal. However Tornay's relatives have > > challenged this. There have been unconfirmed reports of a homosexual > > background to the tragedy and the involvement of a fourth person who > > was never identfied. > > > > Father Amorth, who has just published Memoirs of an Exorcist, a series > > of interviews with the Vatican journalist Marco Tosatti, said that the > > attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II in 1981 had been the work of > > the Devil, as had an incident last Christmas when a mentally disturbed > > woman threw herself at Pope Benedict XVI at the start of Midnight > Mass, > > pulling him to the ground. > > > > Father José Antonio Fortea Cucurull, a Rome-based exorcist, said > that > > Father Amorth had "gone well beyond the evidence" in claiming that > > Satan had infiltrated the Vatican corridors. > > > > "Cardinals might be better or worse, but all have upright intentions > and > > seek the glory of God," he said. Some Vatican officials were more > pious > > than others, "but from there to affirm that some cardinals are members > > of satanic sects is an unacceptable distance." > > > > Father Amorth told La Repubblica that the devil was "pure spirit, > > invisible. But he manifests himself with blasphemies and afflictions > in > > the person he possesses. He can remain hidden, or speak in different > > languages, transform himself or appear to be agreeable. At times he > > makes fun of me." > > > > He said it sometimes took six or seven of his assistants to to hold > down > > a possessed person. Those possessed often yelled and screamed and spat > > out nails or pieces of glass, which he kept in a bag. "Anything can > > come out of their mouths finger-length pieces of iron, but also > > rose petals." > > > > He said that he hoped every diocese would eventually have a resident > > exorcist. Under Church Canon Law any priest can perform exorcisms, but > > in practice they are carried out by a chosen few trained in the rites. > > > > Father Amorth was ordained in 1954 and became an official exorcist in > > 1986. In the past he has suggested that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin > > were possessed by the Devil. He was among Vatican officials who warned > > that J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels made a "false distinction > > between black and white magic". > > > > He approves, however, of the 1973 film The Exorcist, which although > > "exaggerated" offered a "substantially exact" picture of possession. > > > > In 2001 he objected to the introduction of a new version of the > exorcism > > rite, complaining that it dropped centuries-old prayers and was "a > > blunt sword" about which exorcists themselves had not been consulted. > > The Vatican said later that he and other exorcists could continue to > > use the old ritual. > > > > He is the president of honour of the Association of Exorcists. > > > > > > http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7056689.ece > > >
