The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating—financially, socially, and emotionally. As of March 25, worldwide there have been 2,759,331 deaths associated with COVID-19. In the United States, the CDC says rates of infection of COVID-19 have been rising, with the seven-day average of new cases estimated to be 56,225. COVID-19 isn’t just an existential threat to our physical well-being. Based on data published by the CDC, “More than 42% of people surveyed by the US Census Bureau in December reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in December, an increase from 11% the previous year.”
Similarly, an estimated four in ten adults have reported signs of anxiety or depression in the past year, compared to only one in ten from 2019. While hard data pertaining to the effects of COVID-19 on mental health is still being collected worldwide, I believe it’s reasonable to conjecture that fear of the virus itself, housing insecurity, occupational uncertainty, stress from home-schooling children, and in some cases prolonged isolation from friends and family have all contributed to a mental health crisis just as devastating as the physical effects of COVID-19.
While staying at home has helped lower the infection rates for COVID-19, according to some it’s had an inverse effect on claims of demonic possession. Father Vincent Lampert, appointed exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, claims that while he used to receive five or six calls a day pertaining to demonic possession from all over the world, recently, he’s been receiving between ten and twelve. “That tells me when people are isolated and dealing with mental health issues that the number of calls has really escalated,” Fr. Lampert explains. Similarly, Father Ronaldo Ablong, priest of the St. Vincent Ferrer quasi-parish in Barangay Camanjac in the Philippines, warns us that people who are experiencing hardships are the most vulnerable to diabolic attack: “The devil is always around 24/7, and rides on to events in our surroundings, such as our problems, trials, illnesses, pain, and crisis.” Although Fr. Ablong acknowledges that religious people often turn to God in an attempt to find comfort and guidance, he cautions, “But we have to be careful because the devil is wily and he will put us in a discomforting situation and discourage us.”
It’s difficult to say whether the number of requests for exorcisms has actually increased during the pandemic, because the position of the Catholic Church is that they do not keep official statistics on the numbers of exorcisms sought or performed per diocese. Certainly, plenty of people believe in the existence of demons. In a recent survey conducted by YouGov October 22–25, 2020, of a weighted sample of 17,407 Americans over age eighteen, 50% reported that they either definitely or probably believed that demons exist. A study by Joseph Baker from 2008 found that social class plays an important role in individual’s degree of belief in religious evil. Individuals of a lower social class tend to have a stronger belief in the existence of religious evil compared to those of a higher social class—with the exception of those who regularly attend church. When participation in organized religious activities was controlled for, there was no significant difference between classes. That being the case, I believe it’s reasonable to assume that people of lower social class—who are more predisposed to believe in the reality of demonic possession— may be more likely to believe themselves the victim of demonic activity when stuck at home and struggling with depression and anxiety without access to family, friends, or adequate healthcare.
Exorcism, as defined by Father Juan Cortes, “in general is the act of driving out or warding off demons or evil spirits from persons, places, animals, or things that are, or are believed to be, possessed or infested by these spirits or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice.”
The Catholic Church recognizes four types of demonic activity: infestation, when a demon causes physical destruction of a place or strange noises to manifest; oppression or vexation, when a demon causes physical harm or discomfort to a person by shoving, pinching, slapping, or biting; obsession, when a demon causes mental or emotional disturbance to a person through fears, anxiety, or depression; and finally, as Father John Bartunek explains, “When a demon concentrates its activity from within the human body, so that a person’s body is not subject to their own free will but rather is moved by the demon as if it were its master, this is called possession.”
According to the Roman Catholic De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam (“Of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications”), exorcisms are actually of two kinds. First, what’s called simple or “minor exorcisms” are performed before baptisms and may also consist of simple prayers that the faithful may recite. Solemn or Major exorcisms are the kind most people have in mind when they think of exorcisms. They may only be performed by an ordained priest or bishop with the special and express permission of the local ordinary, the diocesan bishop, according to the Code of Canon Law. Major exorcisms are specifically designed to expel demons and liberate a demoniac (a person believed to be possessed by a demonic entity).
While Fr. Lampert has stated with respect to infestations, “I do thousands of these a year,” when it comes to what he judges to be true cases of demonic possession, those are much rarer, “maybe one a year.” The Catholic Church maintains that genuine cases of demonic possession are rare, and until the claimant undergoes a thorough medical and psychiatric examination to rule out natural causes such as mental illness, demonic possession is supposed to be treated with skepticism. For his part, Fr. Lampert even performs secret tests, such as producing a vial of regular tap water to see whether the claimant will react, believing it to be holy water. As Fr. Lampert explains, “I should be the last one to believe someone is dealing with the demonic.” While we no doubt disagree on the existence of the demonic, on this point, Fr. Lampert and I agree.
If demonic possession is real, it would be truly remarkable. That being said, no evidence has ever been presented in support of the hypothesis for demonic agency; skeptics are expected to trust anecdotes and personal testimonials while believers accept demonic possession as a matter of faith. For its part, the Catholic Church chooses to abide by a policy of strict confidentiality; exorcisms are private affairs, and information that could identify the demoniac is suppressed. However, the Catholic Church is hardly the only organization to deal with claims of demonic possession, according to Michael Cuneo, author of American Exorcism. Televangelist and self-proclaimed “world’s leading authority on cults, the occult, and exorcism” Bob Larson claims to have “personally performed more documented cases of exorcism than any Protestant minister in history.” Videos of Larson performing exorcisms as part of his deliverance ministry are widely available online, and little attempt is made to blur the faces or protect the identities of his alleged demoniacs.
Yet for all the spectacle, I have not witnessed one example of a Bob Larson exorcism in which there was levitation, movement of objects through purportedly supernatural means, feats of superhuman strength, demonstration of knowledge hitherto unknown by the demoniac, prediction of future events, or a confirmed case of xenoglossy.
While demonic possession may or may not exist, assuredly depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies are very real and very serious. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same social safety nets or access to mental healthcare. This harsh truth means that in addition to our obligations toward the well-being of our friends and family, each of us must determine for ourselves what, if any, obligations we have to our coworkers, neighbors, or strangers and not assume that someone or something is automatically going to be looking out for them. If you are struggling with your mental health or believe you are the victim of demonic activity, I strongly encourage you to seek help from a mental health professional.
In the U.S., the national suicide prevention lifeline can be phoned 24/7 for free at 1-800-273-8255 in English, or 1-888-628-9454 in Spanish. The crisis text line can be reached by texting HOME to 741-741.
In Canada, the suicide prevention service can be phoned 24/7 for free at 1-833-456-4566 in English, or 1-866-277-3553 in French. The crisis text line can be reached by texting CONNECT or PARLER to 868-868.
To find mental health resources in any country, visit https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines.