Straits Times, Sep 17, 2006
An ongoing court case has sparked an interest in exorcism, and Catholic theologian William Goh’s talk on this topic last week attracted quite a crowd
By Leong Su-Lin
FATHER William Goh has a suggestion for all Catholic travellers wary of haunted hotel rooms: Never travel without a supply of holy water.
That way, if you encounter strange noises, shifting tables or flickering lights, you can sprinkle the water and say a prayer to appease the spirits, says the theologian, who is a resource speaker for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
‘A hotel is probably haunted because a person was murdered there and his spirit cannot rest in peace,’ he says.
When he encounters ‘a strange presence’ in a room, he too will sprinkle holy water and bless the room, he adds. Any water blessed by a Catholic priest is considered holy water.
Superstitious babble, you say? Father Goh, 49, a Catholic priest of 21 years, won’t blame you. After all, different religions have various approaches to dealing with spirits.
The media had sought his views on Catholic exorcism following an ongoing court case.
Housewife Amutha Valli, 50, sued two priests from Novena Church last month for allegedly performing a botched exorcism on her.
She is asking for compensation for what she claims was a forced exorcism, which she says left her with severe side effects including depression and the need for 24-hour care.
The two priests and seven church volunteers filed their defence rejecting her allegations last Friday. A verdict is not expected until early next year.
Father Goh is quick to clarify that he does not consider himself an expert in exorcism.
But as a speaker for the diocese and spiritual director for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and Catholic Spirituality Centre, he is the official spokesman on the matter.
The court case sparked wide public interest in exorcism, a ritual performed to cast demons out of possessed persons.
A talk by Father Goh on the topic, held last Wednesday at The Catholic Centre in Waterloo Street, was booked out almost as soon as it was announced.
About 170 people, most of whom were Catholics, attended the talk. The good response prompted a second talk to be held two days later.
One of those who went for the session, Mr Lawrence Nonis, 48, says the talk was a rare opportunity to learn about exorcisms and the devil – subjects rarely discussed during church sermons.
‘It taught us not to be afraid, and that exorcism is not like how it is portrayed in the movies,’ says the head of operations of a bank.
To clear up any confusion over exorcism, LifeStyle chatted with Father Goh in his office at St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Punggol last Thursday.
The friendly priest was forthcoming and withheld only names and locations for privacy reasons when recounting his experiences.
The youngest of four sons and a daughter, his decision to become a priest initially met resistance from his now-deceased father.
But Father Goh recalls that one of his favourite activities as a child was praying, so it was no surprise when he heeded his calling.
This came while the then 20-something was training in a bank to be a foreign exchange dealer.
Today, as rector of St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, he lectures on topics including exorcism and deliverance to those studying to be priests.
Deliverance, which is the act of praying over a person under demonic obsession, is different from exorcism, which is performed only on those who are possessed. The latter also requires the approval of the bishop.
To his knowledge, exorcism has never been performed in Singapore. But the chances of people coming under ‘demonic influence’ have grown, he says.
Reasons he gives for this include ‘a growing disbelief in the sacred, increasing materialism and consumerism as well as a rise in the practice of occult practices, leading to a decline in moral values’.
There are three forms of demonic influence, he says: possession, obsession and opposition.
Demonic possession, which he says is very rare here, occurs when a demon takes over a person to the point where he is paralysed and unable to resist.
In this case, the demon can be exorcised only by priests who have previously undergone a period of fasting and praying to strengthen their faith, he says.
Demonic obsession, which is a lot more common, occurs when demons manipulate facets of a person’s behaviour.
This leads to uncontrollable rage, jealousy and fear or obsessive behaviour, such as the constant urge to watch pornography.
Obsession can be treated with deliverance, says Father Goh.
During deliverance, which can last up to two hours, it is not unusual for the victim to become aggressive and spew vulgarities as the evil spirit is being forced out.
As ‘the symptoms of someone who is possessed are similar to those of someone who is psychotic’, he says priests are trained to study a person before deciding on a course of action.
‘How do you know whether it is a case for deliverance? When medicine does not work,’ he says with a smile.
In the same manner, every priest ‘is a sceptic’ when he first encounters a house said to be haunted. ‘Who knows whether it is a figment of someone’s imagination,’ he says.
It is only if the trouble persists after the initial blessing that a more thorough investigation is done.
Deliverances on houses are rare. He estimates that only one in about 50 houses reported to be ‘haunted’ requires deliverance.
He recalls one such occasion: ‘I sprinkled holy water in all the rooms of the house on a Thursday, but when I returned on Saturday, it had not dried up.’
The spirits eventually left after deliverance was performed.
Haunted houses fall into the third form of demonic influence – opposition.
This is where objects are possessed by one of two types of spirits – a restless or evil spirit.
Catholics believe restless spirits are usually people who died with an unfinished agenda and want to communicate with their loved ones.
‘Without a body, they are unable to communicate physically, so they try and leave signs, such as locking the door, exuding a familiar scent or appearing in dreams,’ says Father Goh.
During the blessing of the house, a prayer is said for the restless spirits ‘to reassure them of our love and to heal their memories’.
Evil spirits, however, aim to frighten or possess the occupants of the house. Not only can they move objects around and make noises, they can also cause tension.
As a result, once-happy families may experience conflicts or nightmares after moving in, he says.
Once he detects an evil spirit, he will hold a deliverance with the house’s occupants.
This is when he asks for divine protection and tells the family to ask for repentance for any wrong-doing, before commanding the spirit to leave.
Four exorcisms are usually the most that are needed to drive an evil spirit out of a house although, on occasion, the owners are ‘scared out of their wits’ and sell the house before that, he says.
While performing exorcism and deliverance rituals can be tough work, they provide fulfilment for the priest.
‘I’ve seen so many people suffering from oppression, and even after spending lots of money on doctors, they are told there’s nothing wrong with them,’ he says.
‘They are crying out for help, and when science can’t explain it, we heal them. After that, their lives change and they become good people – it is extremely rewarding.’
leongsl@sph.com.sg
Keep evil away from your home
ATHER William Goh, rector of St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, says he offers these tips to Catholics who want to keep their home free of spirits.
Be cautious when buying antiques, especially from countries where people tend to be more superstitious. They may be ‘possessed’, causing spirits to inhabit the house. He tells Catholics to steer clear of carvings and drawings of grotesque faces with horns which may symbolise Satan, and if they do bring such objects into their house, to ‘observe changes in harmony which may occur’.
Spirits in a ‘haunted’ house are more likely to frighten than hurt one, he says. Their aim is either to communicate with you or to chase you out. Although it is highly unlikely spirits will push you down the stairs, ‘it is possible they might make you so scared you will fall down yourself’, says Father Goh.
Evil likes to lurk in dark secluded areas, which is why unoccupied houses and rooms which are left empty and dark for extended periods are more prone to being ‘haunted’. There is no need to keep the lights on, but if a room in your house is not in use, open the doors and windows often.
A home which has seen a lot of violence, abuse, unhappiness or vice is more likely to be ‘haunted’ than one that has not, he says.
Meddling with occult practices – such as visiting Satanic websites or sleeping with a coffin, as reported in The New Paper recently – can be viewed as ‘a direct invitation to demons’, he says. ‘You’re just inviting trouble.’
Trust your instincts. Father Goh says most people have an intuition for sensing the presence of evil spirits – ‘although it depends on your sensitivity and experience in these matters’. If Catholics feel something is not right yet can’t pinpoint the reason, he says they should consult their priest, who will be happy to bless their house. It is free, although token donations to the church are accepted.
Be patient. Sometimes, it takes more than one blessing to rid the house of demonic spirits. It can take up to three or four blessings to cast out all the spirits, especially if there are several different types. Holding a mass is usually a way to exorcise them.
Catholic homeowners should have their homes, whether new or old, blessed when they move in. Repeated blessings are not essential as, in most cases, no evil spirits will re-enter unless invited.