Exorcism speculation
Some see Pope Francis as obsessed with Satan.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Is Pope Francis an exorcist?
The question has bubbled up ever since Francis laid his hands on the head of a young man in a wheelchair after celebrating Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. The young man heaved deeply a halfdozen times, shook, then slumped in his wheelchair as Francis prayed over him.
The television station of the Italian bishops’ conference reported Monday that it had surveyed exorcists, who agreed there was “no doubt” that Francis either performed an exorcism or a prayer to free the man from the devil.
The Vatican was more cautious. In a statement Tuesday, it said Francis “didn’t intend to perform any exorcism. But as he often does for the sick or suffering, he simply intended to pray for someone who was suffering who was presented to him.”
Fueling the speculation is Francis’ obsession with Satan, a frequent subject of his homilies, and an apparent surge in demand for exorcisms among the faithful despite the irreverent treatment the rite often receives from Hollywood.
In his very first homily as pope Francis warned cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel the day after he was elected that “he who doesn’t pray to the Lord prays to the devil.” He has since mentioned the devil on a handful of occasions, most recently in a May 4 homily.