Worried about the lure of the devil, a Vatican-linked university on Thursday debuted its latest course offering: a class on Satanism, black magic and exorcism.
The class for clergy and seminarians at Rome's Pontifical Academy "Regina Apostolorum" has arisen from alarm about Satanic practices among young people, especially in Italy.
In one case in Italy in January, eight people believed to belong to a Satanic sect were ordered to stand trial for their alleged role in three ritual killings.
One of the victims was a 19-year-old girl stabbed to death in 1998. She may have been targeted because her killers believed she was a personification of the Virgin Mary, prosecutors allege. The suspects belonged to a heavy metal band called "Beasts of Satan."
The Vatican is also concerned about a growing number of young people who develop personal forms of Satanism, outside the sects that are closely monitored by police. They often learn about the devil through the Internet.
"It's a more spontaneous and hidden phenomenon, a problem of loneliness and isolation, a problem of emptiness, that is fulfilled by the values of Satanism," said one of the teachers, Carlo Climati, a specialist on youth culture and Satanism.
From Vatican college debuts Satanism classes, in today's Baltimore Sun
6 comments:
Damn I need to enroll in the Vatican so I can attend those classes...lol. Everyone knows that heavy metal spawns Satanists. But you know what Christians should probably be monitored by police more closely by police than the Satanist. Very few satanists perform creul acts on unwilling people, they just kill chickens and thinks, or so I am told. Christians on the other hand are the rapist, murderers, and perverts there just the majority of people so lets pick on the minority satanists. Wouldn't religious sacrifices be protected by freedom of religion? I guess the person needs to be willing.
I'm offended by the previous comment and demand the blog administrators remove it. If they do not, I'll write hundreds of letters to the FCC and Department of Education (giving the illusion of a mass movement) and have you whacked for soiling the social purity of America.
Are there really Satanist? I mean, I suppose there are, but in the public mind any metal band sitting around in their parents' garage trying to come up with a cool name ("Hey, lets call the band 'Rainbow Kittens." "Dude, that's so lame.... let's go with what Bevis said: 'Black Satan'. Huhha, huha... Cool.) are Satan worshipers.
Simply calling myself a Jew (or Christian) doesn't make me one, anymore than calling myself a -- I don't know -- 'compassionate conservative' makes me either compassionate or conservative. I mean, it's not like there's a standards and licensing commission that regulates these sort of things.
You both made me think of something. Look at that last paragraph above:
"It's a more spontaneous and hidden phenomenon, a problem of loneliness and isolation, a problem of emptiness, that is fulfilled by the values of Satanism," said one of the teachers, Carlo Climati, a specialist on youth culture and Satanism.
What on earth are the "values of Satanism?" I don't think of Satanism as being the solution to loneliness, isolation, and emptiness. Maybe a temporary fix, where the individual is a part of a larger group and feels the togetherness that comes with standing around a pentagram in robes. But it seems that other religions fulfill those needs better.
Where's the sex? I though Satanism was all about the sex.
Yeah sex and sacrificing virgins is awesome!!! It's always fun to bring a (sacrificial) dagger in the bedroom. You don't usually actually cut anyone.
You guys are giving me visions of Eyes Wide Shut. Please make it stop.
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