By Kenya Sinclair Catholiconline.com
11/30/2015 (3 days ago)
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – According to a Pew Research Survey, 68 percent of Americans believe angels and demons exist on Earth. A Baylor Religion Survey indicates 48 percent of Americans “agreed” or “strongly agreed” in the possibility of demonic possessions.
Meanwhile, people flock to news of live exorcisms and overbooked Vatican courses on the topic. Even Pope Francis generated interest when he spoke of the practice.
Historically, people claimed evil spirits were at work when misfortune befell them, but today people often associate demons with social and political norms, such as abortion.
During a Catholic exorcism in Mexico earlier this year, Catholic priests attempted to purge the country of demons. The mass exorcism was partially motivated by drug wars but also due to the legalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007.
During one exorcism, a demon spoke through a person who was possessed by four demons, and claimed Mexico was once a demon haven, where hundreds of years ago the Aztecs offered human sacrifices. Now that abortions are legal, the demon claimed the sacrifices have resumed.
Progressive Catholics believe exorcisms are an embarrassment to the religion and atheists are always ready to express their criticisms of the practice as one of the ways they believe religion is absurd. However, countries like Italy and the Philippines thoroughly believe in possessions and have called for more Catholic exorcists.
One example of the realities behind demon-possessions was a video of Pope Francis blessing the same young man who was possessed by the four demons in Mexico. The video shows Pope Francis place his hands on the man’s head, then start to pray.
As he begins to pray, the man’s mouth flies open and he can be seen slumping back in his wheelchair and gasping for breath. When the pontiff removes his hands, the young man immediately returns to his previous state. Click here to read the rest of this story.
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