Gabriele Amorth was known as the "Vatican Exorcist" since he officially carried out these practices for the diocese of Rome, the religious man was proud of his work and used to talk about one of the oldest and most controversial religious
rites of the Roman Catholic Church.
Amorth was the inspiration for The Exorcist
saga
, the horror classic directed by William Friedkin with Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn that premiered in
1973
"Exorcism is the true miracle of God," Amorth told the Los Angeles Times in an interview in 2004. He claimed to have performed 70 of these ceremonies.
The word of Gabriele Amorth: the exorcist of the Vatican
"I've never been afraid of the devil," Amorth said.
"In fact,
I can tell that he is often afraid of me."
Amorth passed away in 2016 after a long illness at the age of 91.
The religious helped promote the ritual of banishing the devil from people or places
, which has experienced something of a resurgence in recent years.
The exorcisms were welcomed by Pope John Paul II, who revealed having performed two or three throughout his life.
The truth is that
Amorth claimed to have performed dozens of exorcisms, a ritual that has not changed since medieval times
and consists of a series of prayers to denounce and expel Satan.
His rebirth is due to the search for a religious explanation for the evil that is perceived in the world.
The Italian-born priest blamed the devil for a number of evils, including pornography, drug addiction, and secularism
.
He even saw Satan lurking in wizarding tales like the "Harry Potter" series.
Scene from "The Exorcist"
Gabriele Amorth's fight against the Devil
The Catholic Church teaches that Satan is real, but Amorth's zeal for exorcisms - and their spectacularity - made the most progressive sectors of the Church uncomfortable.
Some priests, and other specialists
, prefer a more scientific approach to what many consider to be mental illness, not demonic possession.
Exorcists, appointed by bishops, are supposed to ensure that the person requesting an exorcism has first sought medical attention.
Only when a medical response is ruled out is the priest allowed to perform the ritual.
Amorth said in the 2004 interview that he followed those standards, but added:
"I know there are a lot of skeptics. The presence of the devil is often ignored."
He also said that he loved the classic horror film "The Exorcist," directed by William Friedkin in 1973 and based on a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty.
Some of the special effects may have been a bit over the top, Amorth said, but
the film illuminated the work of an exorcist and the dangers of demons.
Gabriele Amorth and the 70 thousand
exorcisms
House of "The Exorcist".
Amorth, who performed more than 70,000 exorcisms, does not mean that he had treated 70,000 people, because according to Amorth,
the same person could need dozens of sessions to be freed from their demons.
The religious was born in 1925 in the Italian city of Modena, joined the Society of Saint Paul in 1947, was
ordained as a priest in 1951 and in 1985 was appointed official exorcist of the diocese of Rome.
Although he had retired, Amorth continued to practice for many years at the headquarters of the Congregation of the Society of Saint Paul, just outside the historic center of Rome.
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