Charges of child abuse and priestly pedophilia lurk behind the controversial religious order now in charge of the scandal-ridden Vatican's "Scdhool for Exorcism"

he Vatican has announced a new effort to combat what it describes as a wave of demonic possession and interest in Satanism, black magic and the occult.

   Last week, officials at the Regina Apostolorum, a university tied to the Holy See told news media that the prestigious institute was already training priests in the rite of exorcism, the use of prayer and ritual to rid victims of alleged demonic spirits.

   "When you're dealing with a reality like the devil, you can't just learn the theoretical" said Rev. Clement Machado of Canada. "You need the pragmatic experience. It's such uncharted territory."

   It is the first time that the Vatican has established a formal teaching program centered on so controversial a practice. In 1999, the church released guidelines to update the ritual that had been in use since the early 1600s. The new standards were circulated through the church hierarchy in red, leather-bound books, and reflected the concerns of Pope John Paul II that the devil existed as an authentic "cosmic liar and murderer" afflicting victims and intervening in human affairs. The work included clues on recognizing cases of diabolic possession including speaking in unknown languages and demonstrating unusual physical strength. It proscribed a ritual blending prayers, constant blessings and sprinkling patients with holy water.

   There is now even an International Association of Exorcists composed of Catholic priests who meet secretly and seek out suitable candidates for the new program. In Italy alone, the number of exorcists performing the Vatican-sanctioned ritual has swelled to over 300.

   Officials of the pontifical university admit that only a small percentage of people exhibiting odd behavior really need the exorcism rite. The Los Angeles Times noted that the course at Regina Apostolorum would teach priests "how to tell the difference between demonic infiltration and other psychological or physical traumas."

   But the establishment of a course in this bizarre practice may have less to do with the perceived reality of Satan or demons than it does complex social trends, including what many observers -- both critics and supporters of the church -- say is a growing pop-culture fascination with occult themes.

   There are also questions about the clerical group in charge of the curriculum at Regina Apostolorum, and whether fears of Satan are the result of sensationalist media accounts, competition from Protestant groups, and even an effort to obscure the persistent scandal involving clerical pederasty.

   "Satanism is very much in fashion now," declared the Rector of the university, Rev. Paulo Scarafoni.

   The course is taught by representatives of the Legion of Christ.

    ¶       Absent from mainstream reporting of the Vatican's renewed interest in diabolic possession and exorcism are charges of priestly child abuse and molestation linked to the Legion, including allegations involving the order's former director, Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado. Following Catholic media reports of a probe by church investigators, Degollado resigned after "pressure from the Vatican," purportedly in exchange for having results of the inquiry sealed. An attorney for the Holy See told a Mexican newspaper that eight people had originally accused the priest of sexual abuse and that "many more" had been uncovered during the investigation.

    ¶       The Legion's name has surfaced in Mexico, where a sensational narco-spy scandal has tarnished the administration of President Vicente Fox. At the center of the inquiry is Nahum Acosta, an official with Fox's travel staff who is also said to be tied to the drug-trafficking cartel of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Fox and his National Action Party have been supported by the Catholic Church. And Mr. Acosta allegedly showered gifts, everything from computers to musical instruments, on a private school operated by the Legion where his three children are enrolled. Acosta's spectacular rise from a low-paying teacher's position to a "wired" member of the Fox administration even attracted interest from the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI, according to a recent news report. There is also speculation regarding possible Legion of Christ ties with other members of Fox's inner circle, as well as the president's wife who is a "lay associate" of the secretive group.

   Much of the power base of the Legion is rooted in Mexico, but since its founding in 1941, the order has spread to 20 countries and includes 500 priests and 2,500 seminarians. Degollado, a Mexican native, headed the order for over six decades until his sudden resignation. His replacement is another Mexican priest, 47-year-old Alvaro Corcuera, the rector of a Legion Seminary in Rome. Reuter's news service revealed last month that despite allegations of abuse and pederasty against Degollado, including reports in the civil press, church officials in Mexico City refused to pursue the matter.

   In the United States, even major figures in the Roman Catholic hierarchy have expressed suspicion about a secret agenda involving the Legion of Christ. St. Paul - Minneapolis Archbishop Harry J. Flynn released a public statement in late 2004 informing parishioners that the Legion was "not active" in his area, and that the group's lay movement known as Regnum Christi was to be "kept completely separate from all activities of the parishes and the archdiocese.."

   A similar policy which banned the Legion and its subsidiary organs from using church resources and property was announced by the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio in October, 2002.

   Flynn said that after making inquiries to learn more about the Legion and its activities, responses from the order "tended to be vague and ambiguous, characterized by generalizations about intent and policy."

   Even so, the Holy See's bureaucracy, spurred on by Pope John Paul II has stepped up its efforts to praise the Legion and its conservative agenda, and turn control of the exorcism mill over to the controversial group.

    ¶       Also linked to revelations that the Vatican is re-emphasizing the "devil busting" business is the "Beast of Satan" murder trial slated to open in a Milan court on Monday, February 21.

   It is for Italians what the Scott Petersen or O.J. Simpson trials have been in the United States, a bloody story of brutal deaths, out-of-control cultists, sex and pop-culture Satanism. It is also sensational, lurid entertainment in a nation fixated with the religious and supernatural, and where the head of a powerful institution, the papacy, regularly warns of pernicious deviltry and diabolical seduction. An estimated 17% of the Italian population -- 10 million people -- are said to regularly consult faith healers and divinationists who specialize in spells, potions and mystical advice. According to the Euripes Institute, there are 22,000 professional practitioners who earn nearly $6 billion a year for their dubious services.

   The case broke when a 27-year-old man, Andrea Volpe, led investigators to a remote site where he and members of a heavy-metal cult band, the "Beasts of Satan" allegedly beat and stabbed two victims to death. Police say that ritualistic human sacrifice was involved, although investigative reports also point to heavy drug and alcohol abuse. The accounts have been described as "chilling" and "riveting." The UK's Independent newspaper (October 13, 2004) noted, though, "The killings were grisly but the evidence linking them to satanic rites seemed thin, based more on the readiness on the part of the media to believe the worst of these hirsute outlaws who had turned their back on society."

   Volpe promptly turned state's evidence, and provided police with a notebook, the contents of which were soon leaked to media. There were scrawled lyrics, such as "Blood and death, blood raining down, blood bathing all my body, blood thirsty for blood" and "We are nasty individuals, we plague people and we play with their lives ... crush them then laugh!"

   Were these lines for a performance in one of the many heavy metal bars where the "Beasts of Satan" performed, or elements in a grisly sacrificial ceremony? So far, the latter claims rest on the credibility of Mr. Volpe.

   The Beasts of Satan trail is providing more incendiary fuel for concerns about the devil. Carlo Climati, author of a best-selling book "Youth and Esotericism" and one of the instructors at the Regina Apostolorum told reporters recently, "There is growing interest in satanic cults among youth today. They find it in music, they find it on the internet.

   "Ten years ago when young people wanted to find out about Satanism, it was difficult. Today it is very easy."

    ¶       His Infernal Majesty may not be the cause of many problems, however, captivating both the press and the modern day imagination, both in Italy and the rest of the world.

   The Lombardy region of Italy which includes Milan is in profound social transition due to the uncertainties of economic change, migration and other factors. It is also home to a myriad of "scenes" and subcultures frequently misunderstood by political authorities, the police and the church. And like high-profile spectacles in the United States and elsewhere, the "Beasts of Satan" trial is irresistible to a ratings-driven and often uncritical news media which feeds a credulous audience riveted on the macabre.

    ¶       One theme running through the news coverage about the Vatican's renewed interest matters occult and diabolic concerns the bizarre history of exorcism.

   The rite dates to at least the second century C.E. Times correspondent Tracy Wilkinson noted, "It enjoyed a certain popularity through the ages but by the 18th century had fallen out of favor and was largely abandoned by the church, thanks in part to the Enlightenment, rationalism and advances in science."

   The "spirit of modernization" permeated even the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) when even the sclerotic Vatican hierarchy saw that the "backward" and medieval ritual was out of step with the times. The narrative about the devil was "minimized." Even so, factors like the Catholic charismatic renewal movement along with Protestant evangelical fascination in the devil and the rising millennialist hysteria leading up to the year 2000 fueled a renewed interest in the devil. The astounding success of films like "The Exorcist" and the grisly "Omen" series, and the embrace of supernatural themes in television resuscitated public awe and fascination with the occult and supernatural. Throughout the late 1970s and 80s, social epidemics of "Satanic panic" swept the United States and Europe. Rumors of secretive covens and killer cults were pandemic. Hard evidence was lacking, but in keeping with the journalistic creed "If it bleeds, it leads," and the tabloidization of print and electronic media, Satan return in the form of garish headlines and "access" news footage.

   Pope John Paul II, no fan of the "spirit of Vatican II" reportedly performed three exorcisms, including one in 2000. The incident occurred during a Papal Mass when a 19-year old woman began cursing and violently gyrating. "The pontiff prayed over the woman for half an hour but failed to rid her of the demon." Perhaps medication was called for?

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