The Shadow of Evil
A Course on the Ministry of Exorcism and Deliverance was held in Rome the week of May 6, 2024. These lectures were instituted based on a demand for trained exorcists.
In 2018, the Vatican hosted a weeklong training for exorcists at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome claiming more instruction was necessary due to the rising demand for more exorcists.
Father Cesare Truqui said, "Today we are at a stage crucial in history: many Christians no longer believe in [the devil's] existence, few exorcists are appointed and there are no more young priests willing to learn."
According to Benigno Palilla an exorcist from Sicily there are 500,000 alleged cases of demonic possession or activity every year in Italy.
He cited the many cases of possession as psychological issues which is why well-trained exorcists were needed. He claimed that most priests are not prepared to discern when they find themselves in this situation.
Father Pedro Barrajon Muñoz who is a professor of theology and presents the lecture: Angels and Demons in Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church, blames social media. He said, "They can promote Satanic practices and occult rites though dedicated sites, while in the past it was harder to popularize.”
The series of lectures entitled Exorcism and the Prayer of Liberation, was first held in 2005.
The Latin Church Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the English translation of De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam, editio typica in November 2014. The final text of Exorcisms and Related Supplications (ERS) was confirmed by the Holy See in December 2016 and implemented in the dioceses of the United States as of June 29, 2017.
Other lectures presented at the 2024 training were: The Extraordinary Action of the Evil One - Criteria for Discernment; Exorcism and Prayer of Deliverance in the Context of the Afro-Brazilian Magical Rites; Satanism and Music; Exorcism and Film; Symbols in Magical, Occult, and Satanic Rituals; Pedophilia and Pedopornography in Relation to Occult and Satanic Rites.
It took the Catholic Church almost 400 years to update the rules pertaining to exorcism. It was only In 1999, when instructions were modified since 1614, to distinguish between demonic possession and physical or psychological illness.
A CASE OF SATANIC SUICIDE: POSSESSION, MENTAL ILLNESS OR BOTH
In January, 2018 Lilia Botuseva, 23, from Bulgaria was reported missing by her family six months before. Interpol was notified, however the search was called off after she was found by authorities in Erfurt, Germany. She had been studying in Germany prior to this.
On New Year's Eve it was reported by the owner of a vacation room in the village of Vlachata, on the island of Kefalonia who discovered her body along with a German man, 30, a top executive with Germany's Deutsche Bank whose name was withheld.
The couple traveled to Greece in a car with a fake plate, which the man had rented in Germany. They had been staying there since December 26.
The coroner Angeliki Tsiola, reported the woman cut herself with a blade in several places which bled profusely. She had multiple, healed scars indicating she had participated in similar rituals before.
The man than sat in a water-filled bathtub, cut his veins and then put a knife through his heart. Knives, candles and a satanic pentagram were found at the scene.
According to Greek authorities, the suicide appeared to have taken place during a New Year's Eve satanic ceremony. There is a 24-hour time frame before the first full moon which is associated with satanic sacrifices. A note was found written in the man's handwriting, that read: ”Our unsuccessful mission has ended. Bitcoin is now the future. I return to my lord Satan, whom I have failed.”
Until today’s date the man’s identity and photograph are still carefully protected and cannot be found.
A CASE OF VIRGIN SACRIFICE
On June 2, 2016, two days after he disappeared, it was reported that the body of Mario "Marito" Agustin Salto, 11, was found in plastic garbage bags 4 miles outside of Quimili, in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. He was last seen on May 31, when he left on his bike to go fishing.
He had been raped and dismembered, in what was later described as a satanic ritual. His head was found in a separate bag from his torso and extremities, and was discovered by a dog who had dragged out one of his legs.
Forensic examination found he was tortured by strangulation with a metal wire. He was also sodomized. and his legs cut off while he was still alive, causing him to bleed to death. His genitals and fifth vertebra were missing. This is a part of the lumbar spine, which is located in the lower back region of the human body. DNA was also recovered from the child's remains.
K-9 dogs used in the investigation led authorities to the house of a man who lived in the area. The dogs found a notebook with mention of the boy's name and a bloodied underwear that belonged to him. It contained semen.
An altar to Santa Muerte was found. This deity is a skeletal folk saint venerated in Paraguay, north-eastern Argentina and southern Brazil. The K-9 also led to a diagram depicting a seven-headed beast, with the use of the numeration 666. There was a drawing of a child tied, and hung from a branch. Below it was the unbalanced image of the iconic figure of Justice. There was mention in the paper of a "virgin sacrifice". The intent was to obtain his energy and spirit. There was also drawn an eye within a triangle which corresponds to the animated depiction in Disney's Gravity Falls.
The authorities took DNA samples from 3,400 residents of Quimili, and neighboring towns during the lengthy investigation. However, none of the samples matched the DNA belonging to two suspects found on the young victim’s body. They both belonged to the same family and had both raped the boy.
The items belonged to Miguel Angel Jimenez, 58, who ironically had participated in marches asking for justice in the case of Marito Salto, after the discovery of his body. He fathered 11 children throughout the community.
He was a supposed benefactor to the village, however they were whispers that he was called "El Brujo" or "El Terrible". In his yard a dog had been sacrificed. The desiccated carcass was still hanging from a tree.
Four years later, there were 11 people accused of the murder. They were: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ramón Enrique Ocaranza, Daniel Gastón Ocaranza, Miguel Ángel María Jiménez (son of "El Brujo" (The Warlock) Jimenez), María Eugenia Montes, Gustavo Hernández and Arminda Díaz (girlfriend of "El Brujo" Jiménez) who was director of a school in Quimili that Marito attended, Ramón Eduardo Rodríguez, Rodolfo Adrián Sequeira and Daniel Tomás Sosa. Written notes were found in Arminda Diaz's drawer reading “I already have his virility, his youth, his strength. Give me what I ask for, and give me your strength, 666.”
The case dragged on for more than five years. In September, 2022, Rodolfo “Rodi” Sequeira and Miguel Angel Jiménez were sentenced to life in prison.
Prior to this Ramón Rodríguez was sentenced to 11 years for being secondary participant in the crime, kidnapping and sexual abuse.
Gustavo Hernandez and Daniel Sosa were released.
The remaining participants were sentenced to 3 years each.
The defense lawyers said the murder was committed by drug traffickers, saying the murder of the child was a message sent to Marito's uncle Marcelo Salto, who was involved in anti-drug operations.
One of Marito's aunt said it wasn't by chance the demonic cult of Santa Muerte grew there, and chose this specific victim. She insists she wants to know what they got in exchange for the child's life. In one of the letters found at the Santa Muerte altar it read: "Give me what I ask for."
No one has answered that question.