By  Lakshman de Silva 

Exorcists help to relieve those who are possessed by devils. Possession by the devil is caused due to many reasons. For various reasons people approach those who resort to charms to get the help of the devil for favours or  to harm an enemy.

Usually a payment is given to whoever may resort to this way of getting help to anyone who wants to get a charm done.

The charmist will get some oil charmed and after having them inside a metal case will give to the person to wear it. This goes for a good luck charm too, where one wears a talisman.

Pain and agony

To take revenge from an enemy the charmist pins needles to a doll pronouncing the words of the charm to give a harmful effect on the person charmed. Here the devil enters the person and in taking possession gives physical pain and mental agony which includes irritations.

Charms are also resorted to win the love of another. In this case mainly the young or even elderly people approach a charmist who gets the devil to take possession and help in this need.

Then there are also the parents or others who do not in anyway approve the choice of their children on the partners they have chosen, and who want the children to give up the affairs, they would get a charm done to achieve their purpose. Then there are those who want to forge a friendship in order to gain favours and through charms try to attain this.

It is the belief of Catholic exorcists that whatever favours the devil may bestow is only temporary and can ultimately be harmful. The devil could also take possession of those persons who frequent lonely cemeteries.

They also maintain that the devil finds it difficult to enter a person who has strong will power. They are also of the view that the devil hates God and also fears him, for they were chased into hell by Him. The devils also greatly fear the Virgin Mary. Statues of the Virgin Mary have a serpent under her feet crushing him.

About 20 years ago there was a priest at the Mattumagala church whose name was Fr. Philip Dissanaike, considered to be a top exorcist. In addition to his parish duties he was also exorcising.

Many came to him with various problems, among whom was found that some were possessed. In his table was a small crucifix and a small statue of the Virgin Mary which he placed on the heads of those, for whom he prayed. Soon as he comes he will look at those present and from looking at the faces he will say to some people, "You go, you have nothing" and to some others he will say "You stay." From one look at the faces he will know whether there is any case of possession or not.

There was a young boy of about 15 years that the elders who had brought him said, that all of a sudden he started running. They had given chase and caught him after he had run some distance. They found that he was not his usual self after that.

Exact place

Fr. Dissanaike laid his hands and prayed for this young boy. Then he said that he had trampled on something at the entrance to their property. He said that with a measuring tape to measure so much from the left of the entrance facing the road and so much from the right. Then right at that point to dig a hole and that they would find a long rusty nail. He said "Don't touch it. Take it to a far place where there is a stream and throw it."

This was done. The nail was found at the exact place mentioned. After the nail was got rid of the boy was normal.

People also brought in plans drawn of their house and property. He placed the Rosary crucifix on the drawing and he marked the place, if there was any case of possession and gave instructions to spray holy water and blessed salt or he himself arranged and went and blessed the place.

Father Dissanaike also told those present that when they go to a funeral house they should not wear gold jewellery. "Wear only imitations, because in a funeral house there could be evil spirits hovering and they can possess easily those with gold jewellery" he said.