AFP PHOTO / RR AUCTION / HANDOUT
MANILA, Philippines — Instead of amulets, wear sacred objects as protection against “evil possession”, an official of the Catholic Church has advised.
“Wear sacred objects which are very powerful, instead of amulets,” said Fr. Francis Lucas, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
“Always carry with you sacred objects such as scapular, rosary or St. Benedict’s medal, which is truly effective especially when blessed by a priest,” he said.
According to Lucas, the number of incidents attributed to possession by evil spirits has been increasing.
“In the Philippines, if you ask the experts in exorcism, they’ll tell us that it has been increasing,” he said in an interview.
While he does not have an estimate on the number of such possessions, Lucas said most of the victims were teenagers.
“Maybe because they easily get depressed, they idolize or worship other things and some of them don’t attend Mass,” he said.
He added that people get easily possessed or easily become open to Satan or bad spirits when they feel lonely, depressed and hopeless.
“And when you disown God, when you do not pray, when you cut your connection with God, how can you get protection? When you get possessed it’s your physical body that is being made to suffer so that you’ll become weak, that’s why to get rid of Satan you must return to the Lord,” he said.
Lucas also warned the faithful against “opening up avenues” for evil spirits or Satan.
“That’s why we’re being warned against playing the ouija board and the like. Do not tempt the devil, do not open avenues, especially now that there are many cases of possessions all over the world,” he said.