The bishop of the Diocese of the Canary Islands, José Mazuelos, has given the green light to the appointment of priest Higinio Sánchez, from Santa Lucía de Tirajana, who will direct the exorcisms in the south of Gran Canaria, an area where the high density of tourism is also present. generates that there are visitors who require assistance from Churches of origin to practice these works. The most common cases among tourists are those of people who suffer from mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolarity. However, there are also documented cases of people claiming to be possessed by demons.
According to the exorcist priest of the diocese of the Canary Islands, Father José Manuel Portela, the number of exorcisms performed in the Canary Islands has increased in recent years. In 2022, a total of 13 exorcisms were performed, compared to 9 in 2021 and 6 in 2020. Portela attributes this increase to several factors, including the growing secularization of society, which has led to an increase in belief in the devil, and access to information through the Internet, which has made people more aware of the existence of demonic possession.
The exorcisms that are performed in the south of Gran Canaria are carried out in accordance with the ritual established by the Catholic Church. The ritual consists of a series of prayers and rites that aim to expel the demon from the body of the possessed person. In general, exorcisms usually last between one and two hours. In some cases, they can last several days or even weeks. Exorcisms are a controversial practice. Some believe they are an effective way to treat demonic possession, while others believe they are a form of quackery or even abuse. In any case, exorcisms are a practice that remains relevant today, and that is becoming increasingly important in the Canary Islands.
The south of Gran Canaria has a long history of exorcisms. The first records of exorcisms date back to the 50th century. At that time, exorcisms were performed mainly by priests, although cases of exorcisms performed by healers or witches are also documented. In the following centuries, exorcisms remained a common practice in the Canary Islands. In the XNUMXth century, the bishop of Tenerife, Pedro José Quevedo y Quintano, wrote a book about exorcisms in which he recounted his personal experiences with this practice. According to data from the Catholic Church, about XNUMX exorcisms are performed a year in the Canary Islands. The Catholic Church affirms that exorcisms are effective in expelling demons from possessed people. However, science has found no evidence to support this claim.
