Priest: exorcism shows power of Jesus on earth

BY LILLA ROSE
A SPANISH priest has said that exorcism is God’s gift “to help us believe”.
Fr José Antonio Fortea, an exorcist based in Rome, said: “Exorcism is a sign of the power of Jesus that the power of the kingdom of heaven is here on earth. Every exorcism is a gift that helps us believe.” He said that to learn about exorcism the best textbook was the Bible, especially the gospels, because Jesus himself was an exorcist.
A priest of the Diocese of Alcala de Henares in Spain, Fr Fortea is the author of several books, including Interview with an Exorcist. He is currently based in Rome, studying for his doctorate in theology.
Every culture has an understanding of demonic possession, Fr Fortea said. “But they don’t have a solution for it. Jesus brought the solution. Jesus taught us to do exorcisms.” The need to expel demonic spirits from a person’s body is neither common nor rare, Fr Fortea said.
When his bishop first called on him to study exorcism in the late 1990s, Fr Fortea said he thought exorcism was a rare event that might occur once or twice in a century.
But when more and more people came to him for help, he realised demonic influences were much more active, especially in those who associated with witchcraft, magic, Santeria and some New Age practices.
Unlike in films, most possessed people seem perfectly normal, he said. The signs are usually subtle – trembling or spitting.
The Church has specific prayers and rituals for conducting an exorcism, he said. But when he is training priests, he tells them not to worry about technique. “I tell them to surround the demoniac with the glory of God,” he said. “Centre on God.” Fr Fortea warns people against seeing the Devil everywhere.
For instance, some people worry about letting their children anywhere near Harry Potter books and films.
Fr Fortea said he thinks Harry Potter is great fun as long as it is regarded as entertainment. “I looked a lot like Harry Potter when I was a boy,” said Fr Fortea, who has seen one of the films. “When Harry went to Hogwarts, it made me remember when I went to seminary.” He cautioned parents about forbidding things. “Prohibition has to be used carefully,” he said. “People think we are more protected by forbidding things. If you forbid Harry Potter, why not Tolkien?” Demonic spirits take over the body, not the soul, he said, which is why the sacrament of Confession is more important for the average Catholic than exorcism.