Australia: Exorcisms in big demand
Hannah Davies
February 16, 2008

THE Catholic Church has revealed how growing interest in satanism and the occult has led to a rise in exorcisms across Queensland.One priest, who asked not to be named for fear of "reprisals", said he was carrying out at least one exorcism a fortnight.

More requests for exorcisms came from the Gold Coast than anywhere else.

An exorcism involves holy water, sacrament and Bible reading and can go on for many hours, the priest said. Linda Blair made the subject famous in the 1973 film, The Exorcist.

"Being possessed by a demon is terrifying in one's mental and emotional life," he said. "Some of these manifestations are extremely powerful, causing people to be plagued by disturbances. They hear voices and see hideous creatures in their sleep. the rest