ACLE: Exorcism

Horror stories are only popular on Halloween, or on holidays, most of the time they’re only of interest to the fans of the genre. People, after all, are in it for the scare. They revel at the thought of supernatural beings – ghosts, demons and elementals. Some things though, others caution, are best not tempted by fate or the faint of heart. Like exorcism.

The Philippines, while a Catholic country traces its roots to pagan and animistic rituals. Taking a look at local folklore will unearth countless stories and myths on elementals – from the dwarves, tikbalang to white ladies. The Catholic Church, while opposed to this practice has never brought up a more convincing argument than when tackling with something that is right out of the middle ages, or even the bible if you will.

Films as The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Exorcist and local cult favorites as Shake, Rattle and Roll and Spirit Warriors display two different schools of thought on the subject. Emily Rose, released in 2005 won public fervor and exorcism returned to to public consciousness much as The Exorcist did when it was released in 1973. Both films depict the possessed – Emily Rose from Emily Rose and Regan from the The Exorcist - to act in ways that the Catholic Church accepts as signs of possession. They spoke in unknown languages, showed physical strength not naturally possible, had aversions or repulsion for the sacred and had knowledge events that happened before their time.

In real life, things are a bit more complicated than film, though no less grim.

The Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism documented 167 reported cases of possesion from 1 March 2006 until 31 October of last year. Out of the 167 cases, 60 percent or more than half of the cases were demonic in origin. The other half of the cases were either psychological and spiritual in origin (30 percent) or simply psychological (10 percent).

Exorcism was popular during the middle ages, as many as . Today it is seen as superstition, lost, or forgotten part of prayer and the Catholic faith. Early as Vatican II, the Church reaffirmed exorcism as an important prayer that is categorized under healing the healing doctrines, according to Vatican II Instructions on Prayers for healing. Article eight of the same document says this must be implement with strict dependence on the Diocisian Bishop.

Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia, an official exorcist of the Catholic Church, stands in the forefront of a situation that has faced the Church in the last century. With the 21st century, few people believed in religion and the presence of demonic forces, he said. Syquia is the director of the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism. He is the author of the book “Exorcism: Encounters with the Paranormal and the Occult”, which was published in 2006 and again last year. Syquia hoped that the book would teach Filipino Catholics how to view and confront evil spirits the teachings of the Catholic church.

The psych, Syquia said, becomes a doorway that demons attatch to. Those vulnerable to attack are the very young or the very old, and anyone who is sensitive to spirits. Association or ‘worship’ –any offering made, whether food or by pledge – can endanger the person. Any sort of contact, he said, should be avoided.

Toeing the line between possession and psychiatric problems is one they are cautious about, Syquia said. They make sure to run a background check on the person, personal and family history, and get a reference from a psychologist. They also tape the proceedings.

Syquia gave a talk last Jan 24 to a group of university students at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus. The talk was sponsored by the UP Student Catholic Action and is part of the semestral Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE) held by the University Student Council.