
In his weekly Angelus message Sunday, Pope Francis continued his reflections on the meaning of Christmas, reminding his hearers that on coming into the world Jesus was rejected, and that we too must make a choice whether or not to accept him.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.3 Jan 2016, 6:36 AM PST0

The Greater Church of Lucifer opened Friday in a small city just north of Houston. Despite being vandalized this week, the grand opening for the church began on October 30th and runs through November 1st.
by Lana Shadwick30 Oct 2015, 1:40 PM PST0

On September 29, Catholics celebrate the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Saint Michael, whose name in Hebrew means “Who is like God?”, is depicted in the Bible as the commander of the heavenly host and the victor over Satan, who appears as a dragon. He is often shown in sacred art as standing over the devil, sword in hand, with one foot on the devil’s head.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.29 Oct 2015, 8:17 AM PST0

Pope Francis returned to one of his favorite topics Friday morning, telling his hearers that the devil seeks above all to become master of their consciences, so they no longer can tell right from wrong.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.9 Oct 2015, 9:54 AM PST0

The Pope encouraged the children to live with joy in their hearts. “I see you smiling. Keep living like this,” the Pope said. “Help others to experience joy. It’s not easy. In every home there are problems, difficult situations, sickness. But don’t stop dreaming of living with joy.” Departing from his written text for a moment in his meeting with Harlem schoolchildren Friday afternoon, Pope Francis turned to one of his favorite topics, telling the students and their teachers that the devil is a killjoy who tries to spoil our dreams and destroy our happiness.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.25 Sep 2015, 2:23 PM PST0

In an interview Monday for the Spanish daily El Mundo, Father Juan José Gallego, the exorcist for the archdiocese of Barcelona, Spain, said that casting out demons is “a very unpleasant job” and that at first he was “really scared” because of his close contact with Satan.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.25 Aug 2015, 10:09 AM PST0

Alarmed over the growth of local Satanic cults, a Catholic priest from Salerno has performed an aerial exorcism of the entire southern Italian town of Castellammare di Stabia from a helicopter.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.1 Aug 2015, 11:32 AM PST0

A devil-worshipping group calling itself the Satanic Temple has been working to raise funds to promote abortion-on-demand and to counter legal efforts such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and 20-week abortion bans.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.29 Jul 2015, 11:33 AM PST0

In the final major address of his Latin American tour, Pope Francis met with a throng of young people Sunday, urging them to “shake things up.” He left aside his prepared speech to speak off the cuff, but he decided to leave them the text he had written for them, and published it, as well. Comparing life to a soccer match, Francis wrote that there are two opposing teams, one coached by Jesus and the other by the devil; each person must decide which team to play for.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.13 Jul 2015, 1:06 PM PST0

Bishop Cabrero explained the hush-hush nature of the ceremony, saying that otherwise “it arouses morbid curiosity and misinterpretations” when what we are after is simply “doing good for everyone.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.16 Jun 2015, 10:38 AM PST0

To achieve peace of soul, Christians need to learn to keep their hearts free from “passions” and “worldly noise,” which is the “devil’s noise,” Pope Francis counseled Monday in his homily at morning Mass in the Vatican.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.15 Jun 2015, 7:54 AM PST0

In recent days, a game called “the Charlie Challenge” that purportedly involves the invocation of a Mexican demon named Charlie, has gone viral on social networks, especially among middle and high school students.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.28 May 2015, 10:55 AM PST0

During his weekly audience Wednesday, Pope Francis returned to one of his favorite themes: the devil. Reflecting on the importance of good manners and etiquette, Francis insisted that they aren’t enough, because even Satan knows how to put on good manners to get what he wants.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.13 May 2015, 1:34 PM PST0

The tenth annual course on exorcism has gotten off to a bang in Rome, with a full house of 170 students eager to learn how to recognize and fight demonic possession.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.16 Apr 2015, 8:00 AM PST0

The Vatican is offering a course on exorcism—or casting out demons—this April to teach priests and laypeople how to recognize and fight demonic possession.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.3 Apr 2015, 9:50 AM PST0

On Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about the Christian season of lent, the period of prayer and penance leading up to Holy Week and Easter. “Lent,” said the Pope, “is a time of combat” and “a time of spiritual battle against the spirit of evil.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.23 Feb 2015, 6:48 AM PST0

In a visit to a Roman parish Sunday, Pope Francis blamed family divisions on the devil, adding that the only cure is Jesus.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.9 Feb 2015, 5:22 AM PST0

“It’s an ugly thing that we Christians are divided,” said Pope Francis Sunday. “Jesus wants us united in one single body,” he said. In his weekly Angelus message, the Pope spoke of the week of prayer for Christian unity, which
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.25 Jan 2015, 8:42 AM PST0