''The devil may be driven away by prayers for a period varying from half an hour to several months'', says The Exorcist, Father Jose Antonio Fortey.
Have you heard of stories when suddenly two spirits gather in one body and take turns to "rule" it. Science has no explanation for this phenomenon, so I looked for the other point of view - that of religion. Even when the devil start possessing you, you still have a chance to save your soul without having to sign a contract with Lucifer. That is what Father Jose Antonio Fortey tells us. One of the most famous Exorcists in the world performs four or five exorcisms a year. When as a student he was ordered to write a thesis on "Exorcism in the present", he first refused, but then humbly agreed. Today people from all around the world invite him to explain how he manages to deal with the devil. However, he prefers to stay in the church at a provincial Spanish city. And the possessed themselves discover him. In his biography "Memoirs of an Exorcist," he gives us a recipe for salvation from the clutches of the devil.
That is my brief interview with this famous exorcist.
Father Fortey, would you present yourself in a few words?
I work as a parish priest in a very nice village. Anyone who thinks there may be a serious problem with the devil may knock on the door of our church, knowing that he will be helped out.Who is the devil? I mean that he is not just a symbol, right ...
According to the Bible there is not one but many demons among us. The devil is a personal being, not a symbol or energy, but he is a man. However, he is created as a spirit that has no body. People often do not believe in the devil, because he is presented with a rather infantile images. But all cultures, even before Christianity believed in the existence of these evil spiritual beings. I know what I'm talking about although many stories may sound pretty amazing, but angels and demons really exist. Many of the people who used to summon spirits when they were kids admit, "The glass moved", "the key moved", etc.Do you often come across people possessed by the devil?
On the contrary, that is something extremely rare. It takes about 4-5 years to discover a true case among all of those who come to me. Some have mental health problems, others believe they are possessed, but the real ones are very few. They have to apply some rituals of exorcism, which can be summarized this way -they pray for forgiveness of their sins, read the Bible, utter prayers and finally make a conspiracy so that the devil is thrown out from their bodies. This process can last from half an hour to several months. Finally, the man screams in a non-human way or cry and remain on the floor, completely free without remembering nothing from the exorcism.