"The rise in the number or exorcists from four to more than 120 over the course of 15 years in Poland is telling," Father Aleksander Posacki, a professor of philosophy, theology and leading demonologist and exorcist told reporters in Warsaw at the Monday launch of the Egzorcysta monthly.
Ironically, he attributed the rise in demonic possessions in what remains one of Europe's most devoutly Catholic nations partly to the switch from atheist communism to free market capitalism in 1989.
"It's indirectly due to changes in the system: capitalism creates more opportunities to do business in the area of occultism. Fortune telling has even been categorised as employment for taxation," Posacki told AFP.
"If people can make money out of it, naturally it grows and its spiritual harm grows too," he said, hastening to add authentic exorcism is absolutely free of charge.
Posacki, who also serves on an international panel of expert Roman Catholic exorcists, highlighted what he termed the "helplessness of various schools of psychology and psychiatry" when confronted with extreme behaviours that conventional therapies fail to cure.
"Possession comes as a result of committing evil. Stealing, killing and other sins," he told reporters, adding that evil spirits are chased out using a guide of ritual prayers approved by Polish-born pope John Paul II in 1999.
"Our hands are full," admitted fellow exorcist and Polish Roman Catholic priest Father Andrzej Grefkowicz, revealing exorcists have a three month waiting list in the capital Warsaw.
Priests performing exorcism also work with psychiatrists in order to avoid mistaking mental illness for possession, he said.
"I've invited psychiatrists to meetings when I've had doubts about a case and often we've both concluded the issue is mental illness, hysteria, not possession," he said.
According to both exorcists, depictions of demonic possession in horror films are largely accurate.
"It manifests itself in the form of screams, shouting, anger, rage - threats are common," Posacki said.
"Manifestation in the form or levitation is less common, but does occur and we must speak about it -- I've seen it with my own eyes," he added.
With its 62-page first issue including articles titled "New Age -- the spiritual vacuum cleaner" and "Satan is real", the Egzorcysta monthly with a print-run of 15,000 by the Polwen publishers is selling for 10 zloty (2.34 euros, 3.10 dollars) per copy.
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“I’ve invited psychiatrists to meetings when I’ve had doubts about a case and often we’ve both concluded the issue is mental illness, hysteria, not possession,” he said.
If he had invited a psychiatrist to meetings where he did NOT have doubts because he was confident it is possession; the psychiatrist would have still concluded the issue is mental illness.
There are lot of videos of jinns possessing people in Pakistan. Allah khai karey! I wonder if some of the politicans are also possed by djinns (at least they act like it)
Very silly article the new world order norvusorder order chur h founded during Vatican two is the evil behind this luciferian mind control problem thru out the world lucifer was enthroned in 1963 And then as a symbol in gives you the broken cross mark of the beast and from then on to now that is not the true catholic church not at all lucifers and his minions and Russia have hand picked all leaders including pope better term anti pope who wears two satanic and a satanic stole all documented by Father Villa this year articles look him up he tells all right from heavens grace now lets get back to the true Poland article these so called clergy cannot fight lucifer and his army of demons first they are not real priests that was altered at Vatican ii no real bishops that to gone and last most important in 1995 they canceled out true program of exorcism replaced it with nothing that will work so look around you it is going to get worse thru out the world we have the false prophet coming soon and the big A right behind him and Fatima maybe you understand now why it could not of been allowed hold sheeple the real chastisements and punishments are just beginning and the wolves in sheeps clothing are gathering around for the kill
@ciaran moss: Amen to that!
@snowboarder and Paul Hands: This is a different form of dark age that we are in. The devil is still present and does find means to possess people. Turning to God will save us.
Skeptics should read this account:
"Earling (Iowa) Site of Last Sanctioned Exorcism" Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil 10/28/03 by Greg Jerrett
Also, the exorcism of Pat Reading in Litchfield, Conn. is very well documented.
the increase is due to capitalism? god bless president obama the socialist. i assume the polish priests have never taken any science classes. sitting here laughing.
i thought we abandoned the dark ages long ago.
possession = mental illnesses.
The only people who are possessed here are those who think of others as possessed. Since when a levitation is a sign of possession? "Screams, shouting, anger, rage" are also common reactions in some situations. You can arbitrarily assign any human value to possession if you don't agree with some ideology. In this case it is "New Age" that is displacing old church structures and running its own businesses. Ohh, yes, this is about doing business and the ability to make money. It's about the business of owning souls that churches no longer can fully control.
Only reading about a launch of a magazine based on such issues is giving me goosebumps. I am afraid with so much bloodshed going on and satanic practices of people in the east it wont be long that similar things will be published here too.