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Date Posted: 12:25:35 04/14/11 Thu
Author: sagre
Subject: Re: Priest in ancient Battle
In reply to: Trajan 's message, "Priest in ancient Battle" on 07:12:41 04/14/11 Thu

>MANILA (AFP) – A blood-curdling scream echoes through
>the Roman Catholic chweapel in Manila as Father Jose
>Francisco Syquia says a prayer of exorcism over a
>Satanic cult member believed to be possessed by the
>devil.
>
>"It's very painful," the woman cries in an unearthly
>voice, her body contorting in an attempt to break free
>from the tight grasp of Syquia's assistants. After a
>few minutes she falls silent, her limp body exhausted.
>
>The case is among hundreds documented on video and
>kept by Syquia, who heads the Manila Archdiocese's
>Office of Exorcism -- the only one that exists in the
>Catholic nation of 94 million people.
>
>"She would have levitated had she not been
>restrained," Syquia said of the woman in the video,
>portions of which were shown to AFP during a rare
>interview at his office in the basement of a seminary
>in Manila.
>
>Syquia believes he is in the frontline of the battle
>between good and evil on earth.
>
>"There is a great dramatic increase of possessions
>right now," said the 44-year-old priest. "More and
>more the demons are gaining a foothold into this
>society."
>
>While non-believers often joke about the devil, and
>demonic possessions are trivialised by Hollywood,
>Syquia insisted the torment suffered by those he had
>healed was real.
>
>"I have seen scratches suddenly appearing on their
>skin, of inverted crosses on the forehead. These
>persons would be conscious at the time, and they tell
>me its like razor cutting from the inside of the
>skin," he said.
>
>Demons could manifest themselves in many ways and
>could enter the human soul through occult and New Age
>teachings that were becoming increasingly popular in
>the general community, Syquia said.
>
>The Catholic Church's exorcism ministry has throughout
>history tended to operate under a cloud of controversy
>and secrecy.
>
>Syquia said a conspiracy of silence had permeated the
>church in the past, with its leaders wary of being
>branded as mediaeval as modern science tended to
>classify possessions as medical conditions.
>
>But Pope Benedict XVI had recently issued fresh
>guidelines encouraging more exorcisms and for the
>church to be more open about the issue, he said.
>
>There are about 10 Filipino priests authorised to
>perform exorcisms in the Philippines, but only Syquia
>has a fully operational office that is backed by a
>staff of eight, including a lawyer and psychologists.
>
>In his office, a bookshelf is stacked with tomes on
>the paranormal, while a glass-encased cabinet contains
>his tools for spiritual warfare -- his vestments, holy
>water, the crucifix, and a saint's holy relic.
>
>The most potent among his weapons is a copy of the
>Roman Ritual for Exorcism, a compilation of prayers
>used by all the saints to expel and defeat demons
>through generations.
>
>A figurine of St Michael the Archangel trampling
>Lucifer sits on a shelf, a graphic reminder of his
>extraordinary job.
>
>Syquia was ordained only 11 years ago, after he had
>already obtained a degree in psychology at one of the
>Philippines' leading Catholic universities.
>
>The second of four sons of a former diplomat, he said
>he left a comfortable life in one of Manila's
>exclusive, gated communities and employment in a
>family-owned business after he heard God's call to
>serve the church.
>
>Growing up in a modern household, he and his four
>brothers did not believe in possessions -- which were
>made famous in the 1970s Hollywood film "The
>Exorcist".
>
>But Syquia said he had always been fascinated by
>paranormal activities and devoured entire books on the
>subject.
>
>After he was ordained in 2000, Syquia said he was
>posted at a Manila church where, outside its premises,
>occult practitioners -- including spirit mediums,
>oracles and faith healers -- also thrived.
>
>His first case came when a man singled him out from a
>group of priests and asked for deliverance after
>confessing that he had been deep into occult
>practices.
>
>How the man knew his name was a mystery to Syquia,
>although he said deep in his heart he knew -- just a
>week earlier he had begun studying a book on exorcism
>that he had bought long ago.
>
>Syquia sought guidance from the the local bishop, who
>promptly granted him the authority to carry out an
>exorcism guided by his knowledge of psychology.
>
>"I realised God was leading me to this path. I have
>treated hundreds and hundreds of cases since then," he
>said.
>
>Syquia recalled an accomplished female doctor who said
>she was befriended by demons that had appeared to her
>as benign dwarves that showered her with good luck in
>the form of financial rewards.
>
>Her troubles began when she decided to return to the
>Catholic Church and offer all her blessings to God.
>
>Soon after, the demons took over her body for hours at
>a time, while unexplained paranormal activity began
>terrorising members of her family, Syquia said.
>
>"When the time came to bless her with holy water a
>voice that wasn't hers shouted for us to stop," he
>said.
>
>"What really scared me was that this was the first
>time that I saw something very alien in her eyes. I
>was looking at something else. It was totally evil."
>
>The voice taunted Syquia and told him to return to his
>mansion and rich family, personal details that were
>unknown to those in the room, he said.
>
>"We will never leave her," the demon said, according
>to Syquia.
>
>Syquia said a barrage of prayers eventually forced the
>demon out, with the woman now a good friend and church
>volunteer.
>
>"With God by your side, you can do no wrong," he said.

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