With demonic possessions rising, even tripling in recent years, the Vatican is reportedly setting up new training for exorcists, according to Sicilian priest Benigno Palilla.
"A self-taught exorcist certainly meets errors," Palilla, an exorcist, told Vatican Radio. "I will say more: It would also take a period of apprenticeship, as happens for many professionals."
There are now 500,000 alleged cases of demonic possessions annually in Italy, according to Palilla, who claimed it was due to increased popularity of fortune tellers and tarot card readers which "open the door to the devil and to possession."
"Spiritual or psychological problems" are the root of many apparent possession cases, according to Palilla, Newsweek reported.
Rome's Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum is going to run an international course on exorcism in April "to offer a rich reflection and articulation on a topic that is sometimes unspoken and controversial," Palilla told Vatican Radio, per Newsweek.
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