Exorcism has made a much welcome comeback in Europe in recent years with the resurgence of specialized demon-buster church centers and a staunch backing from the Vatican."People don't pray anymore, they don't go to church, they don't go to confession," Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's Exorcist in Chief said.
"The devil has an easy time of it," added 82-year-old Amorth, who performs exorcisms daily in Rome and is dean of Europe's corps of demon-battling priests.
Exorcists say the rite has become a necessity amid a growing number of possessed people across Europe.
"This is a service which is sorely needed. The number of people who need help is intensifying right now," said Rev. Wieslaw Jankowski, a Polish priest with the Institute for Studies on the Family in Warsaw.
The practice has gained ground in Europe over the past few years.
Last July, more than 300 practitioners gathered in the Polish city of Czestochowa for the fourth International Congress of Exorcists.
In Poland, about 70 priests serve as trained exorcists, about double the number of five years ago.
The country will also play host to Europe's only "exorcism spa."
In Italy, an estimated 300 priests and clergy men are practicing as exorcists.
The Vatican throws its weight behind exorcists and bless them.
In 1999, the Holy See for the first time since 1614 issued an 84-page exorcism guideline in which exorcist priests are taught to sprinkle holy water on the possessed before commanding the demon to identify itself by name and to relinquish its hold on the possessed.
Prayers, holy water and gospel readings are repeated as necessary, the guide says.
Late Pope of the Vatican John Paul II was reportedly an occasional exorcist and the practice has accelerated under incumbent Pope Benedict XVI.
Helpless Medicine
Bishops say medicine stands helpless to treat the possessed.
"My remedy is based on spiritual means, which cannot be replaced by any pharmaceutical remedies," said Rev. Andrzej Trojanowski, the supervisor of the Szczecin exorcism center.
"There is a group of people who cannot get relief through any other practices and who need peace…I do not stop at the level of just treating symptoms. I'm very much interested in the soul of a person."
Exorcists, however, say they are careful not to treat people suffering from mental illness, and that they regularly consult with psychologists and physicians.
Exorcists say that people in the grip of evil show different symptoms.
Displaying inhuman strength, speak in exotic tongues, recoil in the presence of sacred objects and overpower others with a stench are all indications for being possessed.
The possessed could also include Christians converting to other religions and others who refrain from Sunday homilies.
Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, exorcists believe.
Exorcism has a long troubling history of inflicting harm rather than heal.
In 1976, a 23-year-old German woman was starved to death in 1976 by two priests, who sought to kill the demon within by depriving the victim of food.
In 2002, a German bishop resigned after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her during an exorcism.
In November 2007, a woman in New Zealand died after a prolonged exorcism that included water-logging in the presence of 40 extended family members.
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