Demonic Possession Requires More Exorcists in Philippines

Catholicnews.com reports: So many people have contacted the Archdiocese of Manila about exorcisms that it has begun recruiting new priests. "These days we have around 80 to 100 cases at any given time," Father Jose Francisco "Jocis" Syquia, chief exorcist at the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism, told Catholic News Service. The office has seen a three-fold increase in cases of harassment and possession in the past year, so Manila-based exorcists have been laying the groundwork for a training program that would see their workload spread out more evenly across the Philippines. Father Syquia said cases from across the country keep being referred to their office. He said many dioceses do not have in-house exorcists, which drives the faithful to seek out "healers and occult practitioners." This only serves to exacerbate the problem, he said, because seeking out the preternatural to receive healing, which he said only God can give, attracts the demonic. By the time the Manila archdiocesan exorcism office sees people, he said, they are in bad shape...