Exorcism alive and well as priests help out the haunted
By Erin O'Dwyer
February 13, 2005 - 12:03AM
Sharing your home with ghosts and not sure who to call? Try the Anglican Church.
Church leaders say homeowners who become convinced their houses are haunted are calling on priests to help them banish troubled spirits.
And priests are obliging - with holy water and prayer.
The Very Reverend Graeme Lawrence, Dean of Newcastle, said he recently blessed the home of a young couple who believed items of furniture had been moved in their house.
He said the "intelligent and sensible" couple came to him in desperation after they were unable to find a rational explanation.
Dean Lawrence said priests were very careful to identify people who had a mental illness, but said most who asked for an exorcism were intelligent, thinking people.
"Sometimes, it has to be said that, for some people, there is a psychological projection going on and you try to make sure that you don't cause any further damage to these people," he said.
"But from time to time I have gone to a dwelling and taken some of the baptismal water from the font with me and I have quite clearly blessed the house, and asked for God's blessing.
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Advertisement"As a sign I've sprinkled the baptismal water and prayed that the presence will depart.
"Whether that's been successful or not I don't know but people have said they began to feel better."
Dean Lawrence said the church had a long history of providing rites and ceremonies for blessings or exorcisms, and the church in Britain often appointed a senior priest as resident exorcist.
Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth said exorcisms were rare but they did happen.
"People do make such requests and ministers are available for that kind of thing," he said.
"A minister is very careful to make sure we don't get caught up in either simple superstition or mental illness but, despite this, there are spiritual issues not exhausted by either of these."
The Catholic Church did not respond to The Sun-Herald's request for information.
Jack Sims, who conducts heritage ghost tours in inner-city Brisbane, said he was often approached by people wanting to research their home's history in the hope of identifying a presence.
He said he knew of Anglican and Catholic priests prepared to perform "clearings" but warned against psychics and sceptics who were quick to capitalise on superstition and quick to charge exorbitant fees.
"I do believe in ghosts but I also believe people get a bit carried away,"he said. "Seek a rational explanation first, then do some research to see whether there could be a possibility that someone died there and could be lingering. Then go to your parish priest."
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