Scottish police call on Catholic Church for help to rid house of poltergeist

Scottish police contacted the Catholic Church after investigating a report of a poltergeist at a home in Rutherglen, Glasgow. The officers reportedly witnessed flying clothes, lights turning on and off, doors opening and closing, and lampshades turning upside down.

The incident also allegedly involved a chihuahua in the garden that was suddenly seen sitting on top of a tall hedge.

The family who called the police endured the disturbances for two days before finally moving out, according to the Daily Record. Policemen who first visited the house on Aug. 8 admitted that they wrote off the call as a "mental health issue" but they took the matter seriously after witnessing the bizarre occurrences.

"One problem we've got is where we go from here as no crime has been established, so what else can we do but deal with any reports of disturbances," police told the Daily Record.

The family of devout Catholics is now believed to be living with relatives. The police have asked a priest to bless the house in Stonelaw Road, according to the report.

Jason Love, a paranormal investigator in Scotland, told the Daily Record in a separate interview that the poltergeist might have been triggered by children. "Manifestations tend to be triggered most by prepubescent or teens going through puberty, because they are giving off the purest life energy," Love said.

Love shared that he performs a ritual similar to those performed by Catholic priests but he also noted that the participation of the Church is limited regarding poltergeists. "They will send priests to give blessings. I've seen cases where things are thrown at the priest and they'll still walk away. There is a stigma attached to the Church, with how much they're willing to help," Love added.

While there have been many reported incidents involving poltergeists and ghosts, there is no official Church doctrine regarding the subject, according to Lawrence Cunningham, professor emeritus of theology at the University of Notre Dame. "You can't point to a canon in ecumenical councils or canon law that addresses this," he said in a 2013 interview with USA Catholic.