Woman Receiving Exorcism In Wyoming Stops Breathing

[doggie]

Hard to top this one.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/1 ... 31350.html

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Authorities in central Wyoming say they received a 911 call reporting that a woman involved in an exorcism had stopped breathing and had gone into cardiac arrest.

 

But when Fremont County sheriff's deputies arrived, the woman was breathing.

 

The Sheriff's Office says it received the call Tuesday from a residence near Riverton, about 120 miles west of Casper. The caller said a woman possessed by a poltergeist had stopped breathing when sprayed with Holy Water and then went into cardiac arrest when others attempted an exorcism.

 

KTAK radio reports (http://bit.ly/13EbcSZ) that the woman was taken to a hospital. Police said she was in stable condition.

 

The home's occupants told police that a demon had been breaking things and biting people in the home, but the deputy couldn't find any evidence.

[Cran]

That is quite strange. Who did perform this exorcism? They make it sound as though it was a Catholic exorcism (because they're most known for it, and referring to "Holy Water"), but a Catholic priest is not allowed to perform an exorcism at random, but is bound by canon law to get permission from his superior, usually the bishop.

Because such unfortunate incidents have happened in the past (Anneliese Michels, for example), most dioceses have strict rules in place that call for evaluation by a medical expert before permission to perform an exorcism is given, which is then performed under medical supervision, too (and it is nothing done frequently).

So, to repeat myself, this sounds.... fishy.

Note: Talking about the Grand Exorcism here, the small/usual one is just a simple prayer also incorporated into baptism and other sacraments.

[PennySycamore]

Oh, brother....

This probably wasn't any kind of official exorcism. Cran said it so well so I won't repeat it. More likely it was done by either a prayer group or some pentecostal church that has a "deliverance" ministry. Either they just got some Holy Water unofficially from a Catholic Church (lots of churches have dispensers) or that just blessed some regular water to use.

[gustava]

Penny....What's a deliverance ministry? And why would Protestants use Catholic holy water? I thought that would be evil.

[France Nolan]

Some Protestant denominations use holy water: Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans are among them. These are fundie approved denominations though. In my ELCA Lutheran church holy water is used in baptism and in blessings. It's also used on high holy days like Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. As the pastor walks down the aisle he dips a mallet in a bucket of holy water and then "throws" the droplets at the congregation.

[PennySycamore]

Penny....What's a deliverance ministry? And why would Protestants use Catholic holy water? I thought that would be evil.

A deliverance ministry is something that mostly those of the charismatic/pentecostal persuasion do. They think that many people are afflicted by "evil spirits" in some way and they seek to cast those spirits out. IMHO, it's all a huge crock.