Young Italian priests are afraid to perform exorcism

The Catholic Church is struggling to find replacements for aging exorcists in Italy because younger priests are too scared, according to Fr. Vincenzo Taraborelli, who has been performing the rite for 27 years.

Taraborelli works three days a week and sees up to 30 people a day at the back of his church near the Vatican. He says that he became an exorcist by chance when a fellow priest needed his help.

"I didn't know what it was, I hadn't studied it," he told the BBC. "He told me what to do. I was totally ignorant," he added.

The 79-year-old priest explained that he tells the people who come to him to consult with a psychologist or psychiatrist before he performs the exorcism. He says that he is in contact with several psychologists who send their patients to him.

Taraborelli recalled a case in which he had to treat a married woman for 13 years. He said that a Satanist had cast spells on the woman in order to captivate her.

"Then they came to me, in this room," said Taraborelli. "I started to pray, and she went into a trance. She would blurt out insults, blasphemies. I quickly understood she was possessed," he continued.

The exorcist said that the woman began to vomit little metal pins when he told the devil to go away.

"Aside from pins she would also vomit hair braids, little stones, pieces of wood," he continued. "It sounds like something from another world right? Instead, it's something from this world," Taraborelli said.

Taraborelli said that he has already informed a bishop that he is having a hard time finding new priests who are willing to perform exorcisms.

"Many of them are scared. Even priests can be scared. It's a difficult life," he said.

Valter Cascioli, a psychologist and scientific consultant to the International Association of Exorcists, said that the number of diabolical possession are on the rise but there is a lack of priests who are capable of performing the rite.