http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=504969&in_page_id=1811
In theory, under the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1172, all priests can
perform exorcisms. But in reality only a select few are assigned the task.

Under the law, practitioners must have "piety, knowledge, prudence, and
integrity of life."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in...

By NICK PISA
Last updated at 00:02am on 29th December 2007

The Pope has ordered his bishops to set up exorcism squads to tackle the
rise of Satanism.

Vatican chiefs are concerned at what they see as an increased interest
in the occult.

They have introduced courses for priests to combat what they call the
most extreme form of "Godlessness."

Each bishop is to be told to have in his diocese a number of priests
trained to fight demonic possession.

The initiative was revealed by 82-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, the
Vatican "exorcistinchief," to the online Catholic news service Petrus.

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

"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 properly trained exorcist.

"Thankfully, Benedict XVI believes in the existence and danger of
evil--going back to the time he was in charge of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith." The CDF is the oldest Vatican department and
was headed by Benedict from 1982, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, until
he became Pope in 2005.

Father Amorth said that during his time at the department Benedict had
not lost the chance to warn humanity of the risk from the Devil.

He said the Pope wants to restore a prayer seen as protection against
evil that was traditionally recited at the end of Catholic Masses. The
prayer, to St Michael the Archangel, was dropped in the 1960s by Pope
John XXIII.

"The prayer is useful not only for priests but also for lay people in
helping to fight demons," he said.

Father Paolo Scarafoni, who lectures on the Vatican's exorcism course,
said interest in Satanism and the occult has grown as people lost faith
with the church.

He added: "People suffer and think that turning to the Devil can help
solve their problems. We are being bombarded by requests for exorcisms."

The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being
exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through rock music and the
Internet.

In theory, under the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1172, all priests can
perform exorcisms. But in reality only a select few are assigned the task.

Under the law, practitioners must have "piety, knowledge, prudence, and
integrity of life."

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

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in...

By NICK PISA
Last updated at 00:02am on 29th December 2007

The Pope has ordered his bishops to set up exorcism squads to tackle the
rise of Satanism.

Vatican chiefs are concerned at what they see as an increased interest
in the occult.

They have introduced courses for priests to combat what they call the
most extreme form of "Godlessness."

Each bishop is to be told to have in his diocese a number of priests
trained to fight demonic possession.

The initiative was revealed by 82-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, the
Vatican "exorcistinchief," to the online Catholic news service Petrus.

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

"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 properly trained exorcist.

"Thankfully, Benedict XVI believes in the existence and danger of
evil--going back to the time he was in charge of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith." The CDF is the oldest Vatican department and
was headed by Benedict from 1982, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, until
he became Pope in 2005.

Father Amorth said that during his time at the department Benedict had
not lost the chance to warn humanity of the risk from the Devil.

He said the Pope wants to restore a prayer seen as protection against
evil that was traditionally recited at the end of Catholic Masses. The
prayer, to St Michael the Archangel, was dropped in the 1960s by Pope
John XXIII.

"The prayer is useful not only for priests but also for lay people in
helping to fight demons," he said.

Father Paolo Scarafoni, who lectures on the Vatican's exorcism course,
said interest in Satanism and the occult has grown as people lost faith
with the church.

He added: "People suffer and think that turning to the Devil can help
solve their problems. We are being bombarded by requests for exorcisms."

The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being
exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through rock music and the
Internet.

In theory, under the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1172, all priests can
perform exorcisms. But in reality only a select few are assigned the task.=

Under the law, practitioners must have "piety, knowledge, prudence, and
integrity of life."

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