- WARSAW (Sapa-DPA ) -- With
an exponential rise in the demand for their services, Catholic Poland has
seen a more than ten-fold rise in the number of priests specialising in
exorcism over the last five years.
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- "There are more and more possessions, because there
are ever more temptations," says exorcist Father Benedykt Barkowski.
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- He blames the fiendish influence of television and video
games for the rising number of Poles who turn to exorcist priests for help.
The number of victims abused by Satanist groups also appear to be on the
increase, says the priest.
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- But the majority of those who turn to exorcists are plagued
by compulsive behaviours like gambling, he says, insisting that such cases
are referred to psychologists.
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- "Some cases we send to them, others they refer to
us."
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- Speaking in unidentified languages and displaying strength
disproportionate to body-size are two telltale signs of being possessed
by the devil, the expert claims. Other symptoms include queasiness around
holy water and religious medallions, he says.
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- Special prayers are used in exorcisms, some of which
can take several months, Barkowski notes.
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- With more than 90% of Poles identifying themselves as
Catholic, the country is regarded as being the most fervent in Europe.
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