Sunday, December 30, 2007

Timely Announcement: Exorcism Squads

The latest news (actually, maybe it's old news and I'm just hearing about it) from Vatican City is that the pope is authorizing exorcism squads (link). The timing of all this is rather handy, as the Holy Water debate is moving along with some speed over at the debate blog (link).

May God be glorified,

-Turretinfan

7 comments:

Hidden One said...

Ignoring the editorial slant, that's very good news.

James R. Polk said...

"Thanks be to God, we have a Pope who has decided to fight the Devil head-on," he said.

So the leader of the largest Christian denomination in the world has decided to fight the devil head-on? Thank God indeed.

Turretinfan said...

I didn't mean to endorse the content of the article, just to point it out.

James R. Polk said...

Maybe I should clarify. My comment was directed toward the irony of the pope now deciding that it's about time to do battle with Satan. It's an interesting article, Thanks for posting a link to it.

Anonymous said...

Turretinfan,

Vatican is attempting an impossible task. Why? The Word says,

Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? - 1 Corinthains 10:18-22 (ESV)

How can the RCC fight the devil head-on if the demons are within their midst, residing in their statues? In a previous post, you showed a picture of one of these statues with the present Pope.

Turretinfan said...

Ironically, the Vatican is now diclaiming the release. See the further information and humor here (link), including a link to the clarifying news report.

-Turretinfan

Hidden One said...

"So the leader of the largest Christian denomination in the world has decided to fight the devil head-on? Thank God indeed."

Fr. Amorth has long been petitioning consecutive Popes to stop the de-fanging of Catholic exorcists. (In the wake of the council of Vatican 2, one of the disasters of its implementation was how exorcism was handled.) Taken in the context of the reputation and prior actions of Fr. Amorth, he is praising Pope Benedict XVI for, in essence, doing almost entirely and exactly what he's been desiring every Pope since the aforementioned Council to do. As there are many Bishops (sadly) who take a lax attitude toward the demonic (further hindering exorcists and aiding the powers of Hell, as can be well imagined,) Fr. Amorth is putting out one of his highest praises by declaring the current Pope as not among them. (Previously, he has been optimistic.)

"My comment was directed toward the irony of the pope now deciding that it's about time to do battle with Satan."

The former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was one of two Bishops who saved exorcists worldwide awhile back from being rendered effectively powerless. It is really mroe of a "still now" and an "onyl now".

"How can the RCC fight the devil head-on if the demons are within their midst, residing in their statues?"

It might do great damage to your doctrines and dramatically alter your understanding of the Catholic Church if I recounted even some of my far too many experiences with the diabolical (and was believed). (Yes, they started as a Protestant.) In the interests of peace and due to my lack of desire to engage in a full-fledged debate or argument with you at this time, I'm not going to do any real apologetics in this comment.

"Ironically, the Vatican is now diclaiming the release. See the further information and humor here (link), including a link to the clarifying news report."

Rats. The irony of all this is that now the Church shall be thought of worse than before the supposed decision was made public. Having been criticized for the decision, she will now be criticized for not having made it! Ah well - que sera sera, ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Sincerely in Christ,
Hidden One.