He is among us, but he does not manifest himself as in the movies. Forget the scenes from “The Exorcist” (William Friedkin, 1973), even if yes, it seems to be true: the devil can even speak in Aramaic, slander and – above all – threaten. «But even he, when he is forced to leave the body of a possessed person, is subject to obedience to God».
Ottavio Utzeri, a man of the Church since always, with the serenity that the experience of his 67 years, spent mostly among the weak and the dispossessed, has been facing the devil as a recognized exorcist for thirty years. Chancellor of the archbishopric, he was secretary to the archbishop Monsignor Ottorino Alberti. And yet, he never wanted to lock himself up in the rooms of the Curia: after having tested his faith and "called" to the Cep, very young, "I always preferred to be a priest, among the people: the faithful". He is now the parish priest of the church of San Gregorio Magno, in Cagliari. "We do not always find ourselves faced with demonic possession", says Monsignor Utzeri. "In many, if anything, there is the belief of being possessed. There are those who go to the magician and those, instead, who turn to the exorcist. Often, however, the devil has nothing to do with it: the problems are other and must be sought elsewhere".
Monsignor Utzeri, does the devil really exist?
"Yes, and he works in the world. But his presence is secondary to that of God. In the Gospel he is presented to us by Jesus as a murderer and a liar."
Are property ownerships increasing in Sardinia?
"As in many other places in the world, there are many who approach the Church and priests to understand if the discomfort they are experiencing is of a diabolical nature or has another root. Thinking that all those who come to the priests are possessed or even, simply, disturbed by the devil, does not correspond to the truth, because for each of them a process of discernment is indispensable."
Is there any data?
"Throughout the island, an average of one thousand believers a year ask us for help and comfort, of which 250 in the Cagliari area alone and about 200 in the Sassari area. Only in ten percent of cases do we detect signs of possession."
How do you distinguish a demoniac from a depressed person?
"In the most difficult cases to identify, the help of psychiatric doctors is useful. Sometimes the presence of the devil is evident, in other cases it is necessary to discern whether the behaviors are not rather the effect of some latent or manifest illness."
Who turns to the exorcist?
"There is no categorization. From the disadvantaged, to professionals, to politicians: there are no people who, more than others, could present themselves to the priest."
Does the phenomenon of black masses still exist?
"Yes, unfortunately these rites that offend God and the dignity of people still exist, even in Sardinia. One sign is the sacrilegious theft of consecrated hosts, which often does not end up in the newspapers but is well known by the bishops of the various Sardinian dioceses. Usually this ritual does not take place in external and easily identifiable places, but in private homes, even of considerable value, where one can have the necessary privacy and security."
What happens to the victim of evil from a physical point of view?
«The person may be forced to make gestures, say words or assume unnatural poses, developing an unexpected ability to act compared to their physical size or normal behavioral attitude».
How does the evil one come to take possession of a life?
"There is no single path. First of all, a distracted, superficial or non-existent spiritual life. But, in general, what pushes people into its clutches is the morbid curiosity for everything that is occult or participation in spiritualist phenomena, the desire to harm others through specific rituals."
What does it look like?
"The devil has no human appearance: he is pure spirit. Saint Paul tells us that he can disguise himself as an angel of light, but iconographic representations serve to testify that those who distance themselves from God have a horrible spiritual and interior appearance. Translating this into images of bodies and faces of real or imaginary beasts has, precisely, the purpose of representing the frightening reality of those who distance themselves from God."
His first encounter with evil?
«The devil, being a spiritual and intelligent being, is certainly found in places far from God. But he is even found in ecclesiastical places, which are more familiar to God and to believers, because, precisely in order to divide those who believe and to separate the faithful from God, he tries to insinuate himself into the field where wheat and tares grow».
Where do exorcisms take place?
"It is generally better to look for places that are next to or inside the walls of the Church. The person and his family must be guaranteed respect for their dignity and the certainty of not being put before the eyes of indiscreet people."
How do you perceive the presence of the devil?
"Especially in homes, instinctively. From strange facts, which I won't specify, to disturbing sensations."
How do you know if there is a demoniac in your family?
"One sign is aversion to the sacred. People may be possessed and suddenly act and speak without restraint, without limitations and without restraints."
Does the devil prevail even in exorcisms?
"No, because God has already won. The devil is not only not omnipotent, but he cannot even violate the interiority and soul of the person. He tries to deceive you and to cast doubt on your faith. But even the evil one is subject to the obedience of God. And when the exorcist forces him to leave a body, he must do it. Sometimes it happens immediately, other times it takes longer: time, however, is entrusted to God."
Lorenzo Piras
