A shocking report out of Italy is generating newfound headlines and conjecture about demonic possession.
The story involves a 28-year-old woman (though The Times reported her age to be 26) who purportedly went through a nine-hour exorcism Sunday after attacking a priest during confession.
The situation is said to have unfolded when the woman went to the Church of Saint Mary of Mount Berico in Vicenza, Italy, with family members, the Corriere del Veneto reported.
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According to the outlet, she began screaming, speaking in different languages, and talking in strange voices. But that’s not the extent of the reportedly bizarre behavior.
Citing local media, the Daily Mail reported that the woman attacked a priest, slapped her mother, and ran wild throughout the confessional area, terrifying those present.
Throughout the spectacle, The Latin Times reported she was “screaming blasphemies.”
Four faith leaders at the church allegedly decided to perform an exorcism on the woman, which lasted throughout the day and concluded around 8:30 p.m.
Police and paramedics — summoned to the site by people at the church — apparently waited outside as other bystanders prayed while the rite was performed.
“It was a real possession and it was only in the evening that the situation was resolved, when the girl physically collapsed,” Father Carlo Rossato is quoted as proclaiming.
It should be noted there was reportedly some disagreement about the cause of the woman’s behavior, with the mother believing the roots to be spiritual and the father and brother contending the woman faced psychiatric distress, according to the Daily Mail.
The family said the woman’s behavior wasn’t new. It’s unclear what unfolded after the woman was taken home, but Faithwire will continue to monitor the details of this story as they unfold.
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