Exorcism, Yes - Catholic, No

I was going to make my first entry for the week upbeat, but there's something to get out of the way first.

"Fatal end to exorcism attempt"hit the news over the weekend. Someone named Ronald Marquez, a 48-year-old grandfather in Phoenix "whom authorities say was choking his 3-year-old granddaughter during an exorcism...." (Arizona Republic, July 20, 2007).

When police got to the house, they heard screams inside. They had a hard time getting in, because someone had pushed a bed against the door.

After forcing the door open a few inches, the police saw a shirtless Mr. Marquez, choking a bloody three-year-old girl, and a naked and bloody 19-year-old woman chanting what police characterized as "something of a religious nature."

Police officers had to use a Taser on Mr Marquez, after initial attempts to subdue him failed. He later stopped breathing and died.

The three-year-old is alive, as is the young woman, who seems to be her mother. Their condition hadn't been reported,the last time I looked.

Mr. Marquez was trying to squeeze demons out of the little girl. I suppose that would make it an "exorcism." That's certainly what it's been called in the news.

We've even seen footage, presumably inside the Marquez house, showing distinctly Catholic wall plaques.

What struck me about this tragic mess is that only one news service bothered to mention, briefly, that this half-naked/naked/choking/screaming/chanting/bloody event bears no resemblance to a Catholic exorcism: apart from human beings being involved.

And that's why I'm posting this entry. This fatal farce bears no resemblance to a Catholic exorcism. The Catholic Church doesn't operate this way.

It should be obvious: But growing up Protestant and converting to Catholicism as an adult has shown me how little many people know about Catholicism.

Is knowing whether or not this is a Catholic rite? I think so. "It AIN'T so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so."

(Information from Arizona Republic and FOXNews.com)
(The "It AIN'T" quote has been attributed to Mark Twain, Artemus Ward, Kin Hubbard, Will Rogers. Others to whom it’s been credited include inventor Charles Kettering, pianist Eubie Blake, and, I'm not making this up, Yogi Berra.)