Fr Marcello Ghirlando sits in an armchair within the walls of the Provincial Curia in Valletta and with a calm smile explains his practice as an exorcist which most would find to be a rather daunting job.
After being ordained in 1986, Ghirlando did not choose but he was rather chosen to take on the odd career path of becoming an exorcist. “I was chosen due to my experience. I had an experience with Fr Gabriele Amorth when studying in Rome. I saw and felt things which I did not even think existed.”
The ball continued to roll when the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr. Joseph Mercieca, nominated Ghirlando as official exorcist for the Maltese Archdiocese. Courses were introduced in 1995 and he is one of the lecturers in the Faculty of Theology on the subject. Back in the day, exorcists had to become apprentices before becoming an exorcist. Nowadays, things have changed and “nothing specific” had to be done in Ghirlando’s case to become an exorcist. “My studies and experiences were all part of my becoming an exorcist. Every two years, an international congress is held abroad for exorcists and one comes to know that knowledge in this field is experiential more than anything else.”
When asked if there are any rituals he must do differently to other priests, he shakes his head and explains that more than ritual, it is certainty that is needed. “I pray with the people I see and use an official text during exorcisms. That is about it. As an exorcist I have to be absolutely certain that the individual is possessed or oppressed by negative spirits. Symptoms of mental illnesses can be incredibly similar to possession making it rather difficult to distinguish,” he says.
Before beginning any exorcism, Marcello must get to know the person and their problem. Sometimes problems or thoughts of being possessed can result from the hard reality of life. “99.9 per cent of all fears of possession are usually a result of problems which can be anything from mental illness to a bad day. However, other people may be victims of the occult. People can be jinxed, cursed or put under a spell and these victims usually moan about everything going wrong. Others generally open the door to negative spirits themselves.”
Symptoms can include not feeling alone or the sensation of a negative presence. Victims can be full of fear, have less capacity to forgive or feel uncomfortable in the presence of holy objects or persons. As an exorcist, Marcello needs to discern what is really needed to help the individual. Some people just need to share their problems because they are lacking in love.
“I usually sit with them and pray for inner healing. At times there is need for professional help so I refer them to a psychologist, psychiatrist or someone in a similar field.”
There are times when he has to work hand in hand with professionals. Some professionals tend to be rather sceptical. Those few who are open to this reality means they can understand the spiritual nature of the cases presented. “I sometimes disagree with them. One example is that of a man who was diagnosed as mentally ill. With a combination of medication and my help, this man did feel better. Cases like this prove my judgement to be correct sometimes.”
But, can all cases be cured?
Ghirlando frowns. “The first temptation is to say the individual is incurable. Sometimes, yes, a person can be incurable.”
A specific case was that of a man who believed he was jinxed. In Italian it is called ‘fattura della morte’ which means the jinx of death. The man died and there was no medical explanation for his death. “I believe that yes, he was probably a victim and was possessed. This kind of experience can put a person in a crisis of belief.”
Today’s lifestyle has more insecurities, fears and anxieties, and according to Ghirlando, because of this people tend to find security in other forms of belief, such as the occult. Growing interest in the occult has meant that belief in Catholicism is declining. “Possession and oppression are rare but there is more practice occurring within the occult. There is less faith and more occult which is making it easier for evil spirits to find an open door. The balance in Malta has been tipped to a fair degree and faith is declining.”
People yearn for something mystical, beyond human. When there is a lack of faith, people need to find security. People are turning to the wrong thing, Ghirlando says, who adds that the human heart “can never be a mechanical thing; it needs to believe, to feel. Atheists, to a certain extent, still believe in something. It might not be God but something. They still try to deify something or someone. They make themselves the principal of good and bad, of moral judgement, through self adoration.”
Claims have been made stating that possession is a psychosis which is religiously induced, requiring an exorcist to quell the mental state. Ghirlando wishes this was as simple and true. “It would be easier to cure. I guess it can be, but in my experience, it is not. I try to take fears away to the best of my ability. No fears would be the most beautiful thing ever,” he says.
Exorcisms cannot be done in the public eye and people usually go to the Provincial Curia. There are some people, such as one married couple, who help Ghirlando since evil spirits can make individuals quite violent. He smiles, “It would not be a very good idea for me to walk around with a bruised face. I already find myself being seen as mad for what I do. I have to make a psychological analysis of the person I am talking to so as not to go too far.”
Exorcism is not as sensational as the media portrays it to be in films such as ‘The Exorcist’. Ghirlando shrugs it off and says it is only done in that way for the viewers. It would not sell otherwise.
I ask Marcello about his thoughts on the link constantly emphasised between music and demonic possession. Many seem to believe that certain styles of music can have a bad influence on listeners. He points out it is not just rock music that can have a bad influence, but all kinds of music. It depends on the listener’s character and how susceptible a person is to certain negative influences. “Of course, I seriously have doubts on how healthy it is to listen to that kind of music.
“There are certain music styles which have directly satanic lyrics influencing listeners. On the other hand, we are constantly bombarded by messages and negative influences. We are what we hear, see and eat. Look at me!” he laughs as he grabs his stomach.