Lima Newsroom, Oct 21, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
“The Dark Charm of Halloween” is the title of a new book launched by the International Association of Exorcists (AIE, by its Italian acronym) and written by its vice president, Father Francesco Bamonte, along with Alberto Castaldini, spokesman for the institution.
In the online presentation of the book, which is written in question-and-answer format and now available in Italian only, Bamonte pointed out that Halloween is not “a playful and innocent celebration or a secular occasion” but that “in reality, it is the representation of a pagan religious celebration: the Samhain festival originating in the Celtic world.”
At this pagan festival, “in the evenings between late October and early November, in addition to numerous magical rites, animal sacrifices were performed and, in all likelihood, even human sacrifices.”
“During the process of Christianization of the British Isles,” Bamonte said, “the solemnity of All Saints’ Day prevailed and the community celebration retained only some of the old customs, turning toward a new perspective, from a salvific perspective.”
The priest explained that the consumerist reinterpretation of the Celtic festival in the United States emptied it of its content of faith and allowed it to once again “become rooted in magic, horror, and death, unlike Christianity,” in addition to being “closely linked today to dark realities such as witchcraft and satanism.”
The exorcist also highlighted that it marks, for satanists, the beginning of the Satanic Year, which makes it more dangerous. Although most of those who celebrate it “have no intention of celebrating witchcraft and the devil,” they put themselves “in communion with this maleficent spiritual current” and become “more vulnerable to the ordinary and extraordinary actions” of the devil.
The priest warned that some children’s websites offer links to satanism pages and noted that on Halloween there is a proliferation of “acts of blasphemy and sacrilege against the Christian faith and symbols,” in addition to tragedies such as what happened in Seoul, South Korea, in 2022, when 158 people died while celebrating Halloween.
What can a Catholic do about Halloween?
The vice president of the AIE encouraged rediscovering the power of the solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1, encouraging people to dress up as saints, promote their lives, take part in processions and involve children, including with vigils of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
“It’s important to explain to children and adults — on the Sundays before Oct. 31 and, in particular, during the homily of the Mass on Oct. 31 in the evening and on Nov. 1 — the communion that unites us to all the saints and to our deceased, helping them to distinguish what is harmless from what is not,” the Italian exorcist explained.
It’s also important to remind everyone “how important it is for us Catholics to celebrate our brothers and sisters the saints, whose intercession can obtain for us so many graces, and to commemorate our beloved deceased, who await our prayers and with whom we hope to be united one day for eternity.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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And don’t forget merchants selling candy, costumes and other merchandise. Don’t underestimate the power of greed. Yes, the demonic has influence, but greed is powerful too.
Halloween has always evoked a sense of evil despite its playfulness regarding darkness, the horror of the occult, pretension regarding Satan. We’ve discussed it before some convinced it’s simply fun for kids and adults.
Perhaps my conviction is deepened by the recent phenomenon of front lawn displays of ghosts and demons from October thru December replacing previous religious symbols, Madonna effigies, angels that were predominant.
With the loss of faith manifest in the increasing falloff of Mass attendance there has risen an increased fascination with the occult. The Italian exorcists’ historical background is revealing and believable. If we dally with whatever represents magic, any form representing evil we invite real evil into our lives. Ouija boards I can attest from experience definitely bring us in commune with the daemonic. As are charms, crystals, other talismans. When studying at Ottawa U as a layman, college friends from local institutions were heavily into the occult, and with it promiscuity and worse.
What we’re experiencing is a transition of worship from God to reverence of demons, whether aware or unwittingly. Exorcists notice an increase in occult activity as well as possessions, diabolic infestations and the like. LGBT, Trans, disordered sex in any form including bestiality are manifestations of the increasing presence of the Prince of this World as spoken by Christ, and Prince of the Air by the Apostle. It’s among the greatest ultimate degradations of Man created in God’s image.
What is fearful is that government has become both protector and purveyor of evil, abortion the new human sacrifice that plagued ancient Israel’s immolation of children to Baal, Aztec Mayan sacrifice. Added is the misconception of Man created in God’s image as a transient truth subject to distorted change and dismissal.