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🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Faith vs therapy: Inside the Philippine school for exorcists

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The Michael Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism in Metro Manila trains priests from across Asia in exorcism rituals.
  • The center was established due to a rise in cases attributed to trauma and spiritual attacks.
  • It uniquely combines psychological evaluation with spiritual practices, though mental health experts express concerns about potential delays in medical treatment.

Asia's only dedicated center for training exorcists, the Michael Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism, operates in Metro Manila, Philippines. The facility, just five months old, was established to address a growing number of cases that Father Jose Francisco Syquia, the center's director, attributes to spiritual attacks exacerbated by trauma from bullying, sexual abuse, and family separation due to overseas work.

Cases were piling up.

— Father Jose Francisco SyquiaSyquia explained the necessity for establishing the dedicated exorcism center.

The center features neatly arranged rooms for visiting clergy, a chapel for the 400-year-old ritual, and holy relics. A one-way mirror allows observers to watch the proceedings. Syquia stated that the center's primary function as a training ground for exorcists makes it unique globally, with priests from Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and India already seeking training.

Trauma driven by bullying, sexual abuse and the pain of separation as family members leave for work abroad has increasingly opened the door to spiritual attacks.

— Father Jose Francisco SyquiaSyquia described the factors contributing to the rise in cases requiring exorcism.

A crucial aspect of the training involves distinguishing between psychological and spiritual afflictions. While the center adheres to Church rules for exorcism and mandates vetting by mental health professionals, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists, Syquia maintains his ability to identify demonic possession. He describes seeing "a change in behaviour... a different consciousness. Something else takes over a person," recounting an exorcism performed just a week prior.

I don’t know of any other center in the world that trains exorcists.

— Father Jose Francisco SyquiaSyquia highlighted the unique nature of the Michael Center's training program.

However, this approach raises concerns within the mental health community. Christopher French, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of London, warned that classifying conditions as supernatural could delay necessary medical treatment. He noted that historically, conditions like schizophrenia and Tourette's syndrome were misinterpreted as spirit possession. The Philippines faces a severe shortage of psychiatrists, with roughly one for every 200,000 people, making access to mental healthcare challenging, particularly in remote provinces.

We have clinical psychologists. We have a psychiatrist... There are also neurologists, so they work hand in hand with us.

— Father Jose Francisco SyquiaSyquia detailed the collaboration between spiritual practitioners and mental health professionals at the center.
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Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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