Exorcism in Saskatoon (Yes, Exorcism)

Bishop Don Bolen of the Saskatoon Bishop’s office is a man with a B.A. Honours in English and Religious Studies at the University of Regina.  Bishop Bolen also believes in demons and the ability to perform exorcisms and his make-believe fantasies are putting a man’s health at risk.

A case of what is being called possible demonic possession in Saskatoon has prompted local church officials to consider the need for an exorcist.
…
According to church officials, a priest was called to a Saskatoon home by a woman who said her uncle showed signs of being possessed by the devil. The woman believed a priest’s blessing could help the distraught man.
At the home, the priest encountered a shirtless middle-aged man, slouched on a couch and holding his head in his hands.
The man had used a sharp instrument to carve the word Hell on his chest.
When the priest entered the room, the man spoke in the third person, saying “He belongs to me. Get out of here,” using a strange voice.
The priest told CBC News that he had never seen anything like this and was concerned enough to call police, for safety reasons.
He said he then blessed the man, saying he belonged to the good side, to Jesus. With that, the man’s voice returned to normal for a short time.

Welcome to 21st-century Saskatoon, where people believe The Exorcist was a work of non-fiction.  A man who most likely needs psychiatric help will not receive it because his niece believes in monsters and magic.  It’s a shame that in this day and age, with all our knowledge, that people are still relying on these ideas.  Bolen does deserve credit for calling the police, but that’s all he or the niece should have done.  The uncle needs real help, not magic.
It’d be difficult to call this an isolated incident involving one over-zealous priest.

Church leaders in Saskatoon have been considering whether Saskatoon needs a trained exorcist.
The last person in the city with formal training, Rev. Joseph Bisztyo, retired in 2003.
Nor does the Regina archdiocese have an exorcist, so Bolen said they are looking to other locations.

Could it be that they don’t have one because they don’t need one?  When they could be out helping to better the real-world, Church leaders are out chasing around invisible monsters that probably aren’t real.  No wonder many have a hard time taking them seriously these days.
We also need to discuss the embarrassing excuse for journalism on display by the CBC.  The public-run news organization is facing budget cutbacks that will force it to cut programs and staff.  They can start by firing the person behind this report.  Rather than question the statements of the priest or the niece, they take everything at face value.

CBC News followed up on the incident to learn if an exorcism had been performed, but church officials said a formal exorcism did not happen.
Bishop Don Bolen explained that the ritual of exorcism is a very structured exercise. He said it was not clear if the Saskatoon man was possessed or experiencing a mental breakdown.

There is a 99.999999999999% chance that this man was experiencing a mental breakdown.  The certainty in saying this comes from the fact that we have no evidence, zero, zilch that demons exist and can possess humans.  We have plenty of evidence regarding mental breakdowns and the functions of the human brain.  But, the report doesn’t even need to realize that.  All he needed to do was ask questions, press the priest to explain what would make a demonic possession different from a mental breakdown.  Next, the reporter could contact medical health professionals that deal with mental health.  The right expert could provide the information to answer the questions readers of the article may have regarding this incident.  Instead, readers are treated to the promotion of myth and fantasy.