Vatican Vows to Fight Satan

Gareth37

Satan is getting very strong.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/vatican-vows-to-fight-devil-1254504.html 2007


The Catholic Church has vowed to "fight the Devil head-on" by training hundreds of priests as exorcists.

Father Gabriele Amorth (82), the Vatican's Exorcist-in-Chief, announced the initiative amid the Church's concerns about growing worldwide interest in Satanism and the occult.

According to plans being considered, each bishop would have a group of priests in his diocese who were specially trained in exorcism and on hand to take action against "extreme Godlessness".

Fr Amorth said: "Thanks be to God that we have a Pope who has decided to fight the Devil head-on.

"Now bishops are to be obliged to have a number of established exorcists for their diocese. Too many bishops are not taking this seriously and are not delegating their priests in the fight against the Devil. You have to hunt high and low for a proper, trained exorcist.

"Thankfully, Pope Benedict XVI believes in the existence and danger of evil."

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the oldest Vatican department, deals with promoting and safeguarding Roman Catholic beliefs. It was headed by the Pope when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, from 1982 until his election as Pope in 2005.

Fr Amorth said that during his time at the department the Pope warned humanity of the risks it faced from the Devil.

He added: "I remember a meeting we exorcists had with the Holy Father last year in which he implored us to follow our mission as exorcists."

Fr Paolo Scarafoni, another exorcism expert who lectures at the Vatican, said interest in Satanism and the occult had grown as people lost their faith in the Church.

He added: "People suffer and think that the Devil can help solve their problems."

Satanism

The Vatican is concerned that young people are being exposed to Satanism through the media, rock music and the Internet.

Under Canon Law 1172 all priests can perform exorcisms. But in reality only a select few are ever called on to do so.

Exorcism involves a series of gestures and prayers to invoke the power of God and stop the "demon" influencing its victim.

Fr Amorth added that Pope Benedict XVI wanted to reinstate use of the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, believed to be the prime protector against evil.

He said: "The prayer is useful not only for priests but for lay people. For example if a lay person knows someone who is possessed and there is no exorcist available they can intervene by saying this prayer, commanding the demon to leave that person."

The prayer to St Michael the Archangel was sidelined in the 1960s by Pope John XXIII during the Second Vatican Council.

Meanwhile, a Catholic bishop has caused fury in Spain by claiming some children "want to be abused".

Bishop Bernardo Alvarez of Tenerife told a newspaper: "There are 13-year-olds who are are in agreement and even want it; even, if you don't watch out, provoking you." (© Daily Telegraph, London)

- Nick Pisa in Rome

achtungbarry

"The Catholic Church has vowed to "fight the Devil head-on" by training hundreds of priests as exorcists."

Wouldn't it be a better use of time, money, resources and effort in making the world a better place by actually doing some real, practical and tangible actions.

Don't the hands that help do more good than the lips that exorcize ?

How on earth is this meant to make the world a better place ?

Really I ask you ?

As if there are not enough REAL problems in the world right now !

Pompey Magnus

achtungbarry wrote: »

As if there are not enough REAL problems in the world right now !

Hmmm, that sounds just like something Satan would say, have you been using the internet or listening to rock music of the non-Christian variety?

Perhaps you need a visit from the crack Catholic commando squad of elite exorcists to save your soul from Lucifer himself.

Hivemind187

Spending vast wealth to cause further harm to people with severe mental or neurological disorders?

... I thought they knocked this inquisition lark on the head in the middle ages?

achtungbarry

Hivemind187 wrote: »

Spending vast wealth to cause further harm to people with severe mental or neurological disorders?

... I thought they knocked this inquisition lark on the head in the middle ages?

Gotta agree, I was trying to keep some kind of lid on my response but this kind of thing really makes every rational bone in your body hurt.

As a race, we could spend our time and efforts erradicating disease and hunger, making sure everyone has access to decent healthcare, ensure that everyone has enough food to eat and so.......

....... but no we are training people to banish mythological beings.

Sometimes I wonder I really do.

It would be funny if it didn't do so much damage and cause so much pain and suffering.

Galvasean

I just got a weird image of all the exorcists charging out of the Vatican like the justice league or something...

achtungbarry

And as if we don't have enough trouble with the devil....... now we have to deal with the super devil.

Gareth37

achtungbarry wrote: »

Gotta agree, I was trying to keep some kind of lid on my response but this kind of thing really makes every rational bone in your body hurt.

As a race, we could spend our time and efforts erradicating disease and hunger, making sure everyone has access to decent healthcare, ensure that everyone has enough food to eat and so.......

....... but no we are training people to banish mythological beings.

Sometimes I wonder I really do.

It would be funny if it didn't do so much damage and cause so much pain and suffering.

Satan is alive and well. He is stronger today in the world than ever before.

Look around you, did you not realise this? Stop living a false pretence.

Galvasean

Gareth37 wrote: »

Satan is alive and well. He is stronger today in the world than ever before.

Surely he isn't as strong as he was back in the days before God battered him and sent him to Hades.

Nodin

Gareth37 wrote: »

Vatican Vows to Fight Satan

'....and not just on the big screen!!!'

Hivemind187 wrote:

Spending vast wealth to cause further harm to people with severe mental or neurological disorders?

... I thought they knocked this inquisition lark on the head in the middle ages?

Renamed it the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

JPII was fond of it, as it helped remove all those "liberation theolgians" and heretics who thought maybe the church should be socially active and help the poor, rather than offer their suffering to christ or some such crap. You could be a martyr against communism, but nobody knew you if some right wing death squad in Guatamala bumped you off.

The current pope earned his title the 'Panzer Cardinal' running it for two decades - excommunications, careers ruined, that kind of thing. Thats why yer man Oscar Romero in El Salvador hasn't had a sniff of beatification and Mother Theresa is on the bullet train.

Hivemind187

Honestly, is no one else bothered that the man with the most religious influence on earth is demanding that his followers go out to "fight" imaginary demons?

Seriously?

achtungbarry

Gareth37 wrote: »

Satan is alive and well. He is stronger today in the world than ever before.

Look around you, did you not realise this? Stop living a false pretence.

I'm gonna be honest with you here Gareth, I am new to this forum and I should let you know that I tend not to really take extremists who see "faith" and personal conviction as valid forms of evidence too seriously. If you want to use reason and logic to debate with me, I welcome any useful discussion but I have a policy of not engaging directly with extremists as it only serves to give them attention and further convince them that their "cause" is in fact a noble and worthy one.

I find that reason and a little gentle humour is the best way to deal with our irrational friends in society.

So I'm sorry that if beyond this point I don't engage you personally in debate.

Gareth37

Galvasean wrote: »

Surely he isn't as strong as he was back in the days before God battered him and sent him to Hades.

He is stronger than ever. Don't think that Satan doesn't exist because he manifests himself in people, people you talk to and then he gets an entry point into you.

He convinces you that maybe Hell does not exist and that what you are about to do is ok because others do it.

Psycology is Satan's greatest tactic with substance, lust and money/power his tools.

Its very obvious once you recognise it.

Helix

i might be mistaken, but i seem to remember hearing or reading that the personification of evil as satan was only a relatively recent addition to the catholic angle (last 1000 years or so perhaps), no?

napapa

This absolutely hilarious!

If there's something strange
in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS

If there's something weird
and it don't look good
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS

Just what i need while i have man flu, a good auld laugh from the catholic church

Gareth37

achtungbarry wrote: »

I'm gonna be honest with you here Gareth, I am new to this forum and I should let you know that I tend not to really take extremists who see "faith" and personal conviction as valid forms of evidencetoo seriously. If you want to use reason nd logic to debate with me, I welcome any useful discussion but I have a policy of not engaging directly with extremists as it only serves to give them attention and further convince them that their "cause" is in fact a noble and worthy one.

I find that reason and a little gentle humour is the best way to deal with our irrational friends in society.

So I'm sorry that if beyond this point I don't engage you personally in debate.

Hi, welcome to the forum and sorry for being extreme. I feel that extreme is the only way sometime.

--amadeus--

Gareth37 wrote: »

Vatican vows to fight Satan[/B]

Will it be on normal telly or just Pay per View?

achtungbarry

napapa wrote: »

This absolutely hilarious!

If there's something strange
in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS

If there's something weird
and it don't look good
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS

Just what i need while i have man flu, a good auld laugh from the catholic church

I hope they give the priests those cool backpacks.

Pompey Magnus

Gareth37

Helix wrote: »

i might be mistaken, but i seem to remember hearing or reading that the personification of evil as satan was only a relatively recent addition to the catholic angle (last 1000 years or so perhaps), no?

Hi Helix,

The Bible makes it very clear that Satan does exist and that he is a "serpant" in the methods that he uses. His job is simple; convince you that he is not influencing you or that he does not exist and then to lead to commit larger and larger acts of sin.

People's minds are simple to control. Satan knows this. Its very easy to do. You just get an entry point into as many people as possible and then when they meet and talk they strengthen the spirit of Satan in each other.

napapa

Gareth37 wrote: »

I feel that extreme is the only way sometime.

thats quite scary mate, please don't learn to fly...

Helix

Gareth37 wrote: »

People's minds are simple to control. Satan knows this. Its very easy to do. You just get an entry point into as many people as possible and then when they meet and talk they strengthen the spirit of Satan in each other.

surely an all powerful creator wouldnt have created something with such a design flaw?

robindch

Charco wrote: »

Perhaps you need a visit from the crack Catholic commando squad of elite exorcists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldlyTjXk9A

PDN

Helix wrote: »

i might be mistaken, but i seem to remember hearing or reading that the personification of evil as satan was only a relatively recent addition to the catholic angle (last 1000 years or so perhaps), no?

Yes, you are mistaken.

Belief in Satan as the personification of evil predates the Roman Catholic Church.

As a Christian I believe in the existence of Satan. CS Lewis once taught that we often fall into one of two errors concerning Satan. The first is to deny his existence altogether. The second is to be hysterical & fixated by the notion of Satan. This thread, like many which are littering this board of late, is an example of that second error.