Colombia: exorcism prayers in response to rise in suicides
November 18, 2014
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In response to a rise in suicides, an exorcism prayer is being said in churches in two Colombian dioceses, according to the Episcopal Conference of Colombia.
In all the churches of the Archdiocese of Ibagué and the Diocese of El Espinal, q prayer of Pope Leo XIII has been said, so that “St. Gabriel the Archangel protect families and youth from demonic temptations,” said Archbishop Flavio Calle Zapata.
It is unclear whether St. Michael the Archangel (rather than St. Gabriel) was meant and, if so, whether the prelate was referring to the longer exorcism prayers to St. Michael in the Roman Ritual.
The prelate also linked the rise in suicides to the breakdown of the family.
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Posted by: shrink -
Nov. 18, 2014 1:30 PM ET USA
Suicide in the elderly (which is where the highest rates are) is the direct result of il-religion. Suicide in youth is tied to family breakdown, as the bishop notes, but it is especially closely tied to drug use and sexual activity. The statistical link between precocious sexual behavior and youth suicide has been well-established for over 40 years.