POSSESSED BY DEMONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 November 1924, Page 7

POSSESSED BY DEMONS.

STRANGE CASE IN ITALY. ROME, October 5. A strange case of alleged Satanic possession is reported from Sala, a small pike® near Riella in Northern Italy, which for the past three riionths has kept the inhabitants in a state of religious excitement. The victim of supposed diabolical power is a certain Eaterino. Fiusello, who, after innumer-

able attacks and exorcisms, was finally assumed, to shave been delivered froth the malefieient domination of 2400 demons two weeks ago. The fact was celebrated with prayers and thanksgivings in the local church. But, three days ago, poor Fiusellb was once more possessed by innumer/■able demons. He was unable to walk 'unless helped with sticks, and tied his legs together, according to the commands of the demons. He was taken to the church for further exorcisms, but was unable to enter, and remained immovable between the first and second door, held fast by invisible power. Don Baudrocco, the vicar of the parish church at Trivero, repeatedly exorcised him* and gave him lodging ill the parish house. Holy water blessed by the priest, as is the custom in the Catholic Church* sometimes has an effect on demons, but not always. Onlv one drop of holy water- put into a glass of beer without his knowledge was immediately noticed by Fiusello. Sometimes he was seized by fits of muteness, and at others wrote rapidly what the demons are supposed to dictate to him—as a rule, horrible blasphemies. He falls into paroxysms when the priests, without his knowing it, put holy medals on him. The local clergy are in great distress and affliction at being unable to expel the evil spirits, for in Italy, as in all Catholic countries, traditions of and belief in demoniacal possession are still very strong, and looked upon as diYihe visitotiohs. Nearly . all the modern saints of the Church, St, AlphonsuSof Ligouri, St. Paul of the Cross, St Phillip Nero, and scores of others, believed in demoniacal possession which still forms part of theological teaching, and the,v were frequently called upon to exorcise posessed or obsessed persons* and only the great saints like St. Charles Borromeo or St. Francis of Assisi had the gift of immediately expelling obstinate demons. The teaching also is that persons might be possessed hot only by one but bv many demons, and that is whv Fiusello. according to his own declaration, was supposed to be liberated two weeks ago of 2400 demons. Medical opinion, of course, attributes these cases to ordinary states of physic traubfiatism., or peculiar forms •of hysteria, and the doctors of Fiuseilo have declared, in fact, that they consider his case merely one of some unusual form, of hysterics.