Demonic Possession Epidemic: Catholic Priests Perform Mass Exorcism on 100s

© press

A mass exorcism ritual has been carried out in Ethiopia to 'rid the body of demons' in Ethiopian Christians as an epidemic of demonic possession takes hold of the country.

Hundreds of people have queued up for hours to meet with a Catholic priest and 'exorcist' at a rural church outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The event has been captured by a series of chilling photos showing people being rid of dark entities.

Just recently an Irish priest publically called upon bishops worldwide to train more exorcists in response to the mass epidemic of people being possessed by demons across the globe.

Father Pat Collins, a Vincentian priest and one of the top exorcists in Ireland, published an open letter literally begging bishops to train more exorcists to help with the rise in demand for exorcisms in Ireland and the world.

© David Tesinsky

According to the DailyMail: Some 150 people had been queuing up at a church outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in order to meet a local celebrity healer whom they believe would be able to free them from 'demons'.

The photos show people of all ages crying hysterically as a cross touches their forehead, or being held down by relatives as they try to avoid being 'exorcised', kicking and screaming.

© David Tesinsky

Other striking shots show a woman seemingly screaming with all her might as she is brought up to the priest, grown men in tears, and dozens of people being hosed down with holy water.

They were taken by Czech photographer David Tesinsky who had ventured to Ethiopia specifically to capture exorcism rituals.

© David Tesinsky

After two weeks of trying to convince locals to let in photograph the religious events, he found the Yerer Selassie church, not far from Addis Ababa, where locals were lining up to meet Ethiopian Orthodox priest Memehir Girma Wedimu.

'People were crying, screaming and Memehir was punching them,' said Tesinsky. 'Memehir, I learned, had rejected all other churches, because he earned more money than the church itself.

© David Tesinsky

'He kept asking for money – I saw one very old woman give him a $100 (£76) bill to 'expel' her of demons and he still wanted more, even though that $100 was most likely all she could earn in one month.'

© David Tesinsky

'These exorcism rituals are usually performed if someone is not responding to modern medicine or if they are misbehaving.

'Their families think they are possessed by a "demon spirit" or "buda" - the power of the evil eye. They must be performed by a local priest.'

© David Tesinsky

Ethiopia has had a significant Christian population for centuries, and the Ethiopian Church is the largest pre-colonial Christian church in Africa.

© David Tesinsky

The belief in demons and the devil found across the religious spectrum is strong, in particular in rural areas, and according to a 2010 survey, nearly three-quarters of Christians in Ethiopia claim to have experienced or witnessed an exorcism.