Having performed an astounding 6,000 exorcisms during his 40 year career, a priest in Mexico says that his work has caused the devil to be afraid of him!
Father Francisco Lopez reflected on his remarkable experience presiding over thousands of exorcisms in a recent interview with a newspaper in Los Angeles.
The 80-year-old exorcist shared some truly fascinating insights into what he has learned from all of these incidents.
According to Lopez, the devil is not an idea but an actual entity that fosters "laziness, fatigue, sleepiness, distrust, desperation, hate; everything negative" in the unfortunate individuals who become possessed.
Additionally, the seasoned priest told the newspaper that a person could fall victim to the devil if they practice "magic, superstition, witchcraft, sorcery, divination, consulting the dead and spirits and astrology," which he dubbed the "seven lands of lies and deceit."
Lopez decried believing that stars could influence human events, noting that they exist millions of miles away and are essentially just made of gas as well as other elements.
Looking back on the many exorcisms he has performed, Lopez observed that victims of possession often exhibit incredible strength as well as supernatural abilities.
He also warned that possessed people often report having strange ailments which doctors cannot cure such as a lingering backache or eye pain.
"The injuries of Satan are outside the control of clinical medicine," Lopez mused about these symptoms that seem to mystify physicians.
Ultimately, after four decades of performing exorcisms, Lopez argued that doing battle with the devil is a requirement of those who have chosen a life in the Church.
And while he expressed the belief that Satan fears him due to his extensive experience performing exorcisms, Lopez may want to be careful about sharing that opinion, since pride is one of the seven deadly sins.
Source: Catholic News Agency