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pope francis
VIDEO: Has Pope Francis been seen performing an exorcism?
Video from an event last Friday shows the pontiff laying his hands on a young man who convulses and then slumps over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QEsyjfnv9Y
(YouTube: scoopview)
IS POPE FRANCIS an exorcist?
The question has been swirling ever since Francis laid his hands on the head of a young man after celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square last Friday.
The young man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, convulsed and shook, and then slumped in his wheelchair as Francis prayed over him.
The television station of the Italian bishops’ conference said it had surveyed exorcists, who agreed that Francis either performed an exorcism or a prayer to free the man from the devil.
The Vatican was more cautious, however, saying Francis “didn’t intend to perform any exorcism”.
“But as he often does for the sick or suffering, he simply intended to pray for someone,” it said.
Fueling the speculation is Francis’ obsession with the devil, a frequent subject of his homilies.
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