THE Catholic archbishop of Ottawa thinks the nation’s capital needs at least two exorcists; but Victoria’s bishop doesn’t think British Columbia’s capital needs any.

“We do take the devil very seriously,” said Victoria Catholic Bishop Richard Gagnon. “But we do not have an office of exorcist at this point.”

The Catholic church has an official rite of exorcism, which regularizes the efforts of clergy and their lay supporters to expel demons from the humans they possess.

It was updated in 1999 with the addition of warnings that those suspected of being possessed be thoroughly vetted by doctors and psychologists first.

“Prudence is a virtue the church needs to practice in such cases,” says Gagnon, who implied that there have been no cases of possession brought to the church’s attention on Vancouver Island.

The Ottawa diocese reported a half dozen claims of possession a year but only one genuine possession in the last 15 years, according to newspaper reports.

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“Cases of possession are relatively rare,” says Gagnon. If any arise the diocese will deal with it, he says, noting that evil will be vanquished by “the light of Christ.”

The Catholic church has never taught that exorcisms are a sure thing. Manuals from the Renaissance period, when exorcisms were frequent, indicate the belief that the moral character and spiritual strength of the exorcist and his supporters are a factor.

Such manuals warned would-be exorcists against entering into conversations with the possessing demon. But during the religious wars of 15th century France, Catholic exorcists carried on extended exorcisms during which the demons made anti-Protestant com-ments that became ammunition for propaganda. Thus, some modern secular historians believe possessions were concocted.

Some Protestants evangelicals believe demons are responsible for addictions and expel them.

– Steve Weatherbe

May 2008