The young man sat on a wheelchair, as Pope Francis made an appearance among those who celebrated Mass on Pentecost Sunday (May 19, 2013) in the Vatican. The priest accompanying the man briefly talked to the Pontiff as the latter then placed his hands on the head of the wheelchair-bound individual. According to one account, “the young man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, shook, then slumped in his wheelchair.”
One television station reported the incident as “exorcism” performed by Pope Francis, though the Vatican issued a statement saying that the Pope “didn’t intend to perform any exorcism. But as he often does for the sick or suffering, he simply intended to pray for someone who was suffering who was presented to him.”
Papal observers have noted that Pope Francis believes in no uncertain terms in the existence of Satan, and that the devil is in our midst. In the book, “Heaven and Earth”, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) wrote, “Perhaps its (the devil’s) greatest success in these times has been to make us think that it doesn’t exist, that everything can be traced to a purely human plan.”
Though he may not have intended to exorcise the young man of the demon that possessed him, Pope Francis has reminded us of the evil that Satan has brought upon that man; and in a more general term on humanity.
What has the devil done? The secular movement aims at denying God’s authority upon people and society; the validation of marriage between people of the same sex; and the legalization of prostitution and abortion. Satan has contaminated media of ungodly thoughts and perverted actions.
Believers in God, at the risk of persecution, must not tolerate pseudo-demons who pursue Satan’s agenda on earth. We live in a world that has reverted back to the days of the early Christians when believers were punished, if not killed for their beliefs in good and in the goodness of the Lord. We need to be brave in deed. We need to be strong in faith. We need to be in constant dialogue with our God.
As Pope Francis said in his very first homily as head of the Catholic church on March 14, "he who doesn't pray to the Lord prays to the devil."
Indeed, as the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3, we are living in the terrible days when "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had noticed this story in the news. I was pretty surprised about how instantly the new pope had exorcised the demon out of the wheelchair-bound man. Pretty awesome doing for this new pope and a great example of the power of prayer.
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