Priest 'made £3m from fake exorcisms'
By Malcolm Moore in Milan
Last Updated: 7:33am BST 04/04/2008
A senior priest in Florence is under investigation for fraud after allegedly amassing £3 million by performing fake exorcisms.
Prosecutors said that Father Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi would "stage shows" at the House of the Sainted Archangels, an organisation he founded.
During the events, which regularly attracted crowds of over 400 people, a number of associates would "pretend to be possessed by demons" and Fr Bazzoffi would allegedly exorcise them using ancient and obscure rites.
He would then offer to "heal" members of the audience who were sick, and solicit donations to his organisation.
One witness told police: "During Mass, the priest spoke in Aramaic, and strange things happened. I do not know if it was group hysteria or our suggestibility, but I remember one old woman screaming in a man's voice while five big guys held her down."
Prosecutors, who have also put 13 of his associates under investigation, started monitoring Fr Bazzoffi in 2005. His house was raided last month, and several documents were seized that showed the priest had £3 million in his bank account.
Fr Bazzoffi, who heads the matrimony office of the diocese of Florence, was publicly cautioned against performing exorcisms last October by the Archbishop of the city, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli.
In a letter, the cardinal wrote: "I would like to make clear the following: any sort of special rite of benediction, such as the laying on of hands, is forbidden. Exorcisms are also prohibited." Only priests authorised by the diocese are permitted to carry out exorcisms.
Fr Bazzoffi denies that he had "ever practised" exorcisms and admitted that he did not have a licence. "I have always only carried out blessings," he said. He added that he "welcomed" the cardinal's admonition, since "it showed that work like mine can trigger suspicion".
He denied that he had ever "encouraged" sick people to believe he could heal them. "These accusations would make me laugh, if it was not such a serious thing."
He added: "The House of the Sainted Archangels is not a registered business and does not have a bank account. So I opened one in my own name.
"All the money for our charitable works goes through it. It may seem like a lot, but it is made up of lots of small donations. Around 30,000 people come to us every year. The police should be able to see that the money always goes out to our projects in India and the Philippines."
Right, as opposed to getting 3 million pounds for doing real exorcisms? DEMON BE GONE
The Vatican still believes that exorcism is a valid response to people's problems.
Too bad all priests aren't charged with "expounding complete lies" or sumat. I'm sure there's a law in the books for such a thing. I think the legal term is called "racketeering".
If ID theorists had their way awhile back we'd be doing exorcisms all the time because diseases would obviously be too complicated for us to figure out and must have been the work of spirits.
tnf wrote:at the time galileo was considered an 'elite atheist' for suggesting the earth went around the sun.
history repeats itself.
and all evolutionists aren't atheists.
and that's a good reason to believe in Jesus there.
i wasn't accusing you of being an elitist you nigger i was just saying i'd lulz at all the people with sticks up their asses getting owned. too bad i don't believe in god
tnf wrote:at the time galileo was considered an 'elite atheist' for suggesting the earth went around the sun.
history repeats itself.
and all evolutionists aren't atheists.
and that's a good reason to believe in Jesus there.
i wasn't accusing you of being an elitist you [LOL RACISM] i was just saying i'd lulz at all the people with sticks up their asses getting owned. too bad i don't believe in god
I think it's more fun thinking about all the religious people toiling day in and day out, holding out for the sweet, sweet afterlife, and when they die they just die. Nothing happens, no heaven, no nothing.
Nope, militant atheists are much funnier to think about, because in your scenario there is nothing to notice for the faithful. Plus, militant atheists make militant Christians look downright fluffy and logical.
I'll agree with your first statement, but I believe your second one is waay off. There are some seriously crazy crackpot christians out there. With real power too, which is even more scary.
Yes, but few of them are considered leading scientists. :P I'm just sayin, those guys are on the way out. The new crop of militant atheists who have finally solved the whole problem for the agnostics? Those guys are on the way in, and really fucking retarded.
Grudge wrote:I think it's more fun thinking about all the religious people toiling day in and day out, holding out for the sweet, sweet afterlife, and when they die they just die. Nothing happens, no heaven, no nothing.
PWNT!!1
Well they won't be around to regret it so ... maybe they win?
