It’s not just ‘a Catholic thing’. Pentecostal churches have long been enthusiastically adding their high-profile branding to the ceremony. And virtually every flavour of religion — be it ancient Assyrian or Hindu — mentions some form of rite to expel oppositional spirits in its holy texts.
But the Catholic International Association of Exorcist’s upped the ante in 2014: Their annual meeting declared occult activity was on the rise. (For the uninitiated, this includes believing in the power of crystals, t’ai chi and yoga — as well as the more traditional Ouija boards, palm-reading and tarot cards.) MORE