Citing rise in demonic possession, Catholic Church amps up exorcism training

So maybe all those dead birds dropping from the sky weren't a sign of the last days, after all. But stalwart seekers after news of spiritual doom may still be able to take heart: Demonic possession appears to be on the rise, at least to judge by the recent actions taken by the Catholic Church.

Church officials say they're now devoting more resources toward training priests to perform exorcisms and provide counsel to people who may be possessed. Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, who organized a recent two-day, closed-door event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront to train clergy in how to deal with demonic possession, told the Baltimore Sun that the church now lacks the trained staff to meet current demand for exorcisms and other possession-related services.

"We have only a small number of priests who have any training in this area in the United States," Paprocki, head of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, told the paper. "Every diocese should really have its own resources." He added that the number of people claiming to be possessed "seems to have increased in the last five years or so."

Among the potential reasons for the increase cited by the Sun: the Internet, thanks to the quick and easy access to writings about mysticism and the occult it provides for inquiring minds. Consider yourself warned.

(Screengrab from "The Exorcist" via: AP/Warner Home Video)