http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=20
05-09-14T152749Z_01_DIT455681_RTRIDST_0_ODD-POPE-EXORCISTS-DC.XML

Pssst...Where the devil is the exorcist convention?
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Orthodontists have national conventions, as do
lawyers and computer salespeople. So why not exorcists? At the end of
his weekly general audience Wednesday Pope Benedict greeted Italian
exorcists who, he disclosed, are currently holding their national
convention.

The Pope encouraged them to "carry on their important work in the
service of the Church."

Problem was that until the Pope spoke few people outside the inner
circle knew that a convention of Beelzebub-busters was going on,
presumably in Rome.

And where were they holding it? In a church, a hotel, a graveyard?

"They try to keep these things quiet," said a Catholic professor who has
dealings with exorcists.

The Roman Catholic Church has shown growing interest in exorcism in
Italy.

In 1999, the Vatican issued its first updated ritual for exorcism since
1614 and warned that the devil is still at work.
...
A Vatican university announced last Thursday that for the second year
running it will hold a course on exorcism and Satanism for Roman
Catholic priests.

The course starts next month at the Regina Apostolorum, one of Rome's
most prestigious pontifical universities, and this year participants can
take it not only in person at the Rome campus but via videoconference
from other Italian cities.

This, a university statement said, was because of great interest after
last year's course, which was attended by nearly 130 people.

The four-month course, which begins in October, is what the university
calls inter-disciplinary. It includes medical, psychological and
religious aspects of Satanism and exorcism.

...

---
Merlyn LeRoy

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2005-09-14T152749Z_01_DIT455681_RTRIDST_0_ODD-POPE-EXORCISTS-DC.XML

Pssst...Where the devil is the exorcist convention?
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Orthodontists have national conventions, as do
lawyers and computer salespeople. So why not exorcists? At the end of
his weekly general audience Wednesday Pope Benedict greeted Italian
exorcists who, he disclosed, are currently holding their national
convention.

The Pope encouraged them to "carry on their important work in the
service of the Church."

Problem was that until the Pope spoke few people outside the inner
circle knew that a convention of Beelzebub-busters was going on,
presumably in Rome.

And where were they holding it? In a church, a hotel, a graveyard?

"They try to keep these things quiet," said a Catholic professor who has
dealings with exorcists.

The Roman Catholic Church has shown growing interest in exorcism in
Italy.

In 1999, the Vatican issued its first updated ritual for exorcism since
1614 and warned that the devil is still at work.
...
A Vatican university announced last Thursday that for the second year
running it will hold a course on exorcism and Satanism for Roman
Catholic priests.

The course starts next month at the Regina Apostolorum, one of Rome's
most prestigious pontifical universities, and this year participants can
take it not only in person at the Rome campus but via videoconference
from other Italian cities.

This, a university statement said, was because of great interest after
last year's course, which was attended by nearly 130 people.

The four-month course, which begins in October, is what the university
calls inter-disciplinary. It includes medical, psychological and
religious aspects of Satanism and exorcism.
...

---
Merlyn LeRoy