Querétaro's Ministry of Exorcisms

0:24 A girlfriend. It's me Adrian or Aiden. Either way, I am still your host and you are still listening to Sousto, the podcast of paranormal folklore from Latin America. Welcome back, and thank you so much for joining me. I believe this is the very first episode that will be available recorded in Austin Public studios. I'm so excited. Look, we have all this amazing room, so technically we have recorded another episode, but that one isn't coming out until I think next month, just because of how we scheduled our year this year. I know we're very official, We're very on top of it. So hey, welcome. This is one of many You will also be able to find episodes of Sustal on Austin Public's channels. I will provide more information about that all over social media.

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1:53 So this year, I'm going certainly going to do this, and I encourage you to do this if you're part of the community. I'm going to be super gay, super queer, super loud, and super proud about it. And I encourage you if you are in a space in a place where you are able to do that, please do the same. I think it's very important to celebrate Pride Month every year, but I think especially this year with everything going on, so I'm very excited to see what we get up to for Pride Month. I've said this before. I am fully romanticizing the summer heat as well, so we'll see how that goes. But regardless of how I feel about being outside, I'm so happy to celebrate Pride Month this year, and I hope that you join me in it. Whether you are part of the community or an ally, Let's do it. Let's do it big this year. Moving on some really quick updates is we have the book club.

2:39 We have a new book announced for the month of June. We are reading Binata by Leopolo gut or Goo is how I've heard people pronounce his name in interviews, so I believe I have that right. This is one of those books I have had on the pile for a very long time, but now with the book club, it's keeping me accountable. So I'm very excited to read this one, and I hope that you will join us. As always, the book club is available for anybody to join. You don't need to make any sort of payment or physically sign up for something. All you have to do is again follow social media at Sustal podcast. On every platform, I make announcements about the book club, so you will see an announcement for this one if you haven't seen it already. You read the book throughout the month, and then I will post details about a book discussion towards the end of the month. We meet online so you can join from wherever you are, and like I mentioned, you do not need to sign up for anything. It's available to everybody. However, if you would like perks like voting for the book and access to the discord channel for the book club, you can sign up at sustalplus dot com for those extra perks. One last thing I want to talk about before we move on to the story is it is summer, but we know that these months move fast and before we know it, Spooky Season will be here. With that being said, I do want to let everybody know that I'm available for bookings.

3:52 I'm available for anything. There's maybe I want to say, four or five months until Spooky Season officially kicks off, so it's usually like September, October and November is when I get busy with events, So programmers, organizers, promoters reach out now for any Halloween or fall season events. And as a reminder, I do live storytelling, so it's essentially like a live episode where we tell the story and we have a group discussion about it, which I think those are some of my favorite things to do. But on top of that, I can also do panel discussions. I can moderate panels, I will do guest spots on your shows. I can host an MC events as I recently found out I was able to do, and can also do podcasting workshops. So please reach out to me. Send me an email to Soustal podcast at gmail dot com. You can also reach me on social media via DM. Whatever you need for this upcoming spooky season, reach out to me and we can work on something.

4:45 I always say this, I. Love to collaborate, especially with local creators and organizers, So anywhere basically in the Texas Triangle, which is Austin, San Antonio, Houston, I think is is that right? We'll see I may have to issue correction on that, but well, that and the Rio Grande Valley. Of course, I'm always looking for an excuse to go home. So if you're in those areas and you have some sort of live event coming up or even an online event, reach out to me. And one final reminder, as always, send me your scary stories that they can be featured in an upcoming Letters from the Beyond episode. You can use the submit story button that is on my website or in the episode description below. If you don't have a written story, that is totally fine. You don't need to send something in that's written. You can also send in photos, videos, or.

5:30 An evp oo. If you happen to catch a ghost on audio, anything that we can post in an episode or on social media, send that to me. And finally, you can support SUSTO by engaging wherever you are listening, so that means leaving positive ratings and reviews and comments. And again, if you'd like to support and receive exclusive and extra perks, you can visit sustal plus dot com. Now, my children, please be seated, and let's get into today's episode, which is all about Getatoo's Ministry of Extorcisms. The road to Soriano winds through the hills of Kerretto, drawing travelers along its curves toward one of the region's most visited sanctuaries. Families pause along the roadside for photographs, smiling into the light, while vendors line the approach, selling candles, rosaries, and other devotional curios beneath the bright Mexican sun. At first glance, nothing about the destination feels unusual or out of place.

6:52 The Basilica, the Nuestra Signora de Roslrees del Soriano, or Basilica of our Lady of Sorrows of s Oriano rises from the landscape in pale stone, familiar in form and purpose, standing much like countless other Catholic shrines across Central Mexico, as a place defined by prayer and veneration. Visitors drift across the grounds at an unhurried pace and follow the shaded stone walkways that bend between trees and open into wide, sunlit spaces. It is the kind of place where people come to seek comfort and to feel, if only for a moment, that the world has steadied beneath them. There is nothing in the movement of the crowd or the calm of the surroundings to suggest that anything here might disturb that feeling. And yet, just beyond the main flow of visitors, past a set of descending steps that lead away from the noise and toward something quieter, there stands a structure few notice unless they are looking for it.

8:04 It does not announce itself with height or ornament, and it does not draw a crowd. Instead, it sits partially concealed by the landscape, modest in scale and easy to overlook, as though it were never meant to compete with the basilica above. It. This is La Capilla de las Benditas Animas del Purgatorio, or the Chapel of the Blessed Souls in Purgatory. From the outside, it gives no clear indication of what lies within, and for many who pass it it remains just another small building among many others, in a place already filled with them. But the experience changes the moment one steps through the doorway, where the brightness of the sanctuary gives way to something placid and more contained. Inside, the light settles differently. It filters through stained glass with colors that seem softened, as though they lose their intensity before reaching the floor. The walls are a light blue color, stripped of the elaborate ornamentation that defines so many churches in the region. There is no overwhelming display of gold and no sense of visual abundance. A painting of Jesus hangs on one wall. Behind the altar is a painting of Purgatory, depicting the blessed souls the chapel is named for. Otherwise,

9:39 the space feels deliberately restrained, as though everything unnecessary has been removed to leave only what cannot be ignored. The silence, too, feels as though it has accumulated over time, rather than simply existing, in the way most chapels feel when mass is not happening. Footsteps echo, and even the smallest movements seem to carry farther than they should. Visitors lower their voices without being told, and many stop speaking entirely, as though conversation itself feels inappropriate. It is often here, standing in that quiet that people begin to notice something they cannot easily explain. Some describe it as a heaviness, others as a sensation of being observed, though there is nothing visible to confirm it. Skeptics might attribute the feeling to expectation or suggestion, but for those who arrive without knowing the chapel's purpose, the reaction often comes first, long before any explanation is offered. Because this is not merely a place for prayer, it is a place where exorcisms are performed.

10:57 The reality takes shape slowly, almost reluctantly, once the history of the chapel is understood. In two thousand four, the Diocese of Gerretro established a formal ministry of exorcism in response to a growing number of requests from individuals who believed they were experiencing demonic influence. These cases ranged widely from reported oppression to more severe claims of possession. While the Church has always maintained that such occurrences are rare, the volume of requests suggested that something at the very least required attention. The Church responded cautiously, as it always has in such matters. Before any exorcism is considered, individuals must undergo extensive evaluation by medical and psychological professionals, with conditions such as mental illness or trauma or neurological disorders carefully ruled out. Most cases are resolved at this stage, explained through known and treatable causes, but not all of them are, and those that remain become the responsibility of clergy trained specifically to address them. By two thousand six, donations had begun to fund the construction of a dedicated space for this delicate work, one that would be separate from the everyday life of the Basilica. Over the next several years that vision took shape, and in twenty ten,

12:31 under Bishop Mario de Gasperin, the chapel was opened. Its purpose was not symbolic or ceremonial. It was purely practical a controlled environment where investigations and rites could take place without interruption or influence. The need for such a space, according to diocesan figures, had been driven by a significant number of reported cases, with estimates suggesting that as many as four hundred incidents across Geddetharro alone were brought forward in the period leading up. To its construction. In response, clergy began addressing these cases with increasing frequency, sometimes conducting multiple rights within a single week. At times, reports suggested as many as twenty interventions, though church officials emphasized that not all of these constitute formal exorcisms, with many involving prayers of liberation or spiritual counseling. Even so, the frequency itself has drawn attention, particularly in a region where such fears are not new. In sixteen ninety one, Gheddethro experienced what historians have described as a wave of reported demonic possession. Colonial records detail accounts of individuals displaying behavior that at the time was understood as evidence of dear byabolical influence, convulsions, altered speech, violent reactions to sacred objects,

14:07 and knowledge they should not have possessed. These reports spread through communities, drawing the attention of religious authorities who struggled to determine whether they were witnessing a spiritual phenomenon, a cultural response to fear, or something that lay between the two. Centuries later, the explanations have evolved, but the underlying concerns remained familiar within parts of the community. The increase in reported cases is often linked to practices viewed by the church as spiritually dangerous, including witchcraft, taro reading, seances, ouigi boards, and the veneration of Santa Merte. For those who hold strict Catholic beliefs, such practices are not harmless expressions, but potential invitations through which some something unwanted may enter. Whether the claims of possession are accepted or dismissed, this framework shapes the purpose of the chapel and the work performed within it. Exorcisms are carried out only after all other explanations have been excluded. Even then, they rely on a set of signs that are interpreted carefully rather than accepted outright.

15:25 Among them are reports of objects moving without explanation, the sudden knowledge of hidden information, an intense aversion to sacred objects, or the ability to speak languages never learned. None of these on their own are considered proof, but in combination they form the basis for further action. Specific cases tied directly to the chapel are difficult to verify, in part because the church treats exorcisms with strict confidentiality. What emerges instead are fragg repeated quietly across the region, rarely acknowledged by the church after the fact. In the nearby municipality of Cologne, one widely circulated story describes a young woman who began claiming she could speak with her deceased grandfather, only for her behavior to shift in ways her family no longer recognized. According to those familiar with the case, the voice she heard changed, becoming something harsher, more insistent, issuing commands that no longer resembled anything human. In another instance, a group of adolescents experimenting with rituals meant to contact the afterlife reported that one of them began exhibiting violent and erratic behaviour in the days that followed, prompting her family to seek help from a priest.

16:53 None of these accounts have been. Formally published or confirmed in detail, but they persist in local memory, passed along as warnings rather than proof. They are stories that, like the chapel itself, resist easy explanation, and so the work continues quietly and without spectacle, within walls that return to serenity once it is done. Today, the chapel remains open to visitors, who are free to enter, take photographs, and observe the space for themselves. Many do, arriving out of curiosity or drawn by stories. They have heard.

17:33 Most to leave having seen little that cannot be explained, and only tell stories of a simple room, a modest altar, a place not so different from any other, and yet the feeling often lingers. The chapel is frequently empty, at least in the sense that no one else is physically present, but its stillness does not always feel entirely unoccupied. The dice cease does not prohibit visits, but there are quiet cautions offered to those who consider themselves spiritually vulnerable, suggesting that the space is not one to approach lightly or without intention, because within the belief system that shaped it, one idea remains difficult to dismiss entirely. Expulsion of a demonic entity is not the same as disappearance, and that what is forced out must in some sense go somewhere.

18:32 There is no official record to confirm that anything remains, and no evidence that anything follows those who leave. The church does not teach that possession passes from person to person in this way, and yet at the edges of belief, the question persists, carried forward not by doctrine but by story. By the time visitors step back into the sunlight, the sounds of the basilika return all at once, with voices, footsteps, and the distant calls of the vendors. The world feels solid, again, grounded and familiar. But for some there is a pause at the doorway, a brief hesitation that is difficult to explain and easier to ignore.

19:18 Nothing visible leaves. With them nothing they can name or prove, only the awareness, however, faint that in a place built to cast things out, not everything can be accounted for. Something unseen seems to prod at the back of their minds, as if there is a new intrusive thought that cannot be ignored, and that the chapel, for all its openness, never feels entirely empty.

20:09 Welcome back, gold friends, Thank you so much for listening to today's story. We are going to go ahead and jump into our sources really quick though before how do you all feel those who have access to the full video episodes, which you can get on susal plus dot com. We have a teleprompter. Also, I forgot to mention that in the intro, So how did we feel about that uninterrupted eye contact? Was it good? Did it add to the story? Did you hate it? Let me know And I will also, of course be posting clips of this on social media to promote the episode. So if you. Don't have access to the full video versions, then maybe you'll see clips of this online. The first source that we have here, this is from an EWTN news, which I believe stands for yes. It says it here Eternal World Television Network. This is in fact a Catholic news source and they posted and again it's ewtnews dot com.

20:58 And this is an urt that was published in two thousand and four and it's titled Exorcism Ministry Established to deal with demonic Possession in Mexico. It says, in the face of increasing numbers of demonic possessions, the Diocese of Kerretto, Mexico has created an exorcism ministry headed up by Father Savador Espinosa, Medina, Vicar General of the diocese. This continues. According to a spokesman, the ministry was created as a result of the increase. Again this is a quote, the increase of phenomenon related to victims of spells, possessions, obsessions and depressions. Which that's a bar right there. We need to get a musician, a rapper and artist, somebody to sing about spells, possessions, obsessions, oppressions. Maybe not oppressions, we don't like that one. That one's not as fun. But a demonic oppression is what it's talking about. Who knew The Catholic Church loved it? Alliteration right, this says Bishop Madio de Gasperin of Kherretro issued a letter instructing priests to immediately report suspected cases of demonic possession to the ministry.

21:58 He also requested that pastors who suspect demonic activity in a particular event listening to the persons that are affected before sending them to the exorcists, so that they can get to know and collaborate in their spiritual care. Which this makes sense because as was mentioned in the story, and I feel like we've talked about possession on this show before is the Catholic Church is very very particular when it comes to exorcisms, to official exorcisms, they will not take on any case. There's a protocol that they follow before they decide all right, the Catholic Church will officially take on this case. As was mentioned in the story, that often includes speaking with medical professionals, with psychological professionals, which I think is great and I've mentioned that before too. Whenever we've talked about like.

22:39 Gunanda dismo and Echi sadiya is you always want to approach whatever sort of ailment, whether it be sustol or some other spiritual kind of thing going on, those things often manifest physically, and so you want to address those physical manifestations as well, if not first to rule out, okay, there is not something physically happening that needs to be taken care of before we can issue a spiritual treatment, or it maybe needs to happen in conjunction with whatever medication or other treatment might be right a holistic approach. Anyway, this wraps up here in the last five years, So this again was published in two thousand and four, So in from like two thousand to two thousand and four, the Diocese of Gedetaro has registered more than four hundred cases of diabolic possession. Most of these I don't really know what I agree with this, but this is what they're attributing them to. They say most of these were the results of experimentation with activities such as sorcery, tarot cards, and wigi boards. All right, we're gonna pause there. Well, that's the end of the source. But it's good that it ends up so we can have this conversation. We also included this in the story. However, I think we have had this conversation many times before, just because someone uses or experiments with divination tools. And of course we know in the Catholic Church divination is a big nona, which is hilarious to me because the out the church is full of witchcraft that allegedly, if you do any of those that opens the door to possession. I'm not going to say it is without it's I don't even want to use the word dangers because there is danger

24:09 in everything, not to like be an alarmist or freak you out, but personally I believe there is danger in so many things. There is danger in me being in this place right now. A light please, Okay, there's no lights above me, but a light. If I was under one, a light could follow me. That's dangerous. But we take precautions, right, We do checks of the space, We make sure that everything is in place. Same thing with this, and we've talked about this before. I think we've spoken about this in the episode for sure with Alexis and Eric from Cidy Alchemist, that there are so many misconceptions about using these things. And as someone who was also very hesitant to even touch Auiji board until recent years, I was also like, well, I don't know. I don't want to like, you know, accidentally invite something. And while again, yes, like that can be the case. There is danger in many things, but if you approach these practices with one respect and to preparation, you're fine. You should be fine. It's like, I don't know, I don't know how like I don't want to harp on this too much, I'd but you all know how I feel.

25:09 I would imagine that you feel the same. Because I'm sure the people that feel this way that are like no, you cannot touch tarot cards or Wiji boards would probably feel that way about like no, you cannot listen to spooky podcasts because you're inviting the devil. I'm already here, but you know what I mean, Like it's like fear mongering. It's propaganda essentially, is what it feels like to me. That's my personal opinion. There's danger in many things, but you have to prepare. You have to approach with like your head on straight, if that makes sense. Straight. Not during Pride month anyway. This next source, this is from BBC and this is titled it's BBC News One Minute World News. Exorcism chapel opened in Mexico. This was published by It's oh. It says it was last updated in twenty ten.

25:52 This says. This is by a Cecilia Bodiam for BBC News Mexico City. And this says a Mexican church in the central city of Gretaro has opened a chapel in which exorcisms can take place. So really quick before we get into this source. That way we can get some visuals up in everything. There will be pictures here in the video. But this is a real place. It is a real chapel, and it is a chapel that is outside of a vasilica on the same property. To be honest, I was like, I had to look up because I was like, even though I was raised in the church, I was like really not into it, so hardly paid attention in there. But I was like, what is the real difference which I kind of assumed based off of context clues, right, what is the real difference between a basilika, a church, a chapel. So a chapel is it's this much smaller place.

26:35 It's more intimate. It is for worship, you know, it's. Part of the church. But a basilica is like something grand. It's like you know, the it's like the mansion of the churches. If that makes sense, Yes, this is what we're talking about. It is it's an individual it's a small chapel outside of basilica as mentioned in the story. So just to make those differences, because I also really wasn't clear on that. But this says there are no accurate figures for the number of exorcisms in Mexico. Again, there was estimated though in those early two thousand years, that there was about four hundred cases, but the Roman Catholic Church says that in Mexico City alone there are about ten cases a month, and the phenomenon is on the rise. Critics say that priests often mistake mental illness or epilepsy for signs of possession, which I believe in the episode that we did about Estephania gutieris Lasso, was it her yes, in the Vayeka's case which the movie Vedonica Netflix is based off of her case, is they were in her final days, she was experiencing where her family was describing as seizures and that she was often in I think the word was cataleptic states. So she was suffering some sort of at the very least some sort of neurological illness, if not also a mental illness, because those are different things, right.

27:51 But again this says that critics say that priests mistake those things, that they conflate them for signs of possession, and that the new church, this new chapel will only treat peace people already seen by doctors. So again there is that implementation. Because this isn't to say that these ten cases a week or these four hundred cases in those five years were the only ones to happen. Those may have been the only ones reported, and then from all of those, they're not all of those were taken on by the church as official exorcisms or official possessions, and they were given official exorcisms. Those are just they were reported and then maybe they were filtered out, like actually, no, it's this or that going on. Right In this section of this article called old traditions, they write, belief in possession and exorcism is common in a country where more than ninety percent of the population is Catholic, which I am constantly saying this Catholicism is inherently spooky. I literally just said it a couple of minutes ago. It's full of witchcraft. It is witchcraft. Sorry, Catholics, don't be mad at me, or if you are, drop a comment in, you know, engage with the show.

28:51 Let me know how mad you are. And this says Nevertheless, Mexico now has a church where exorcisms can be performed, La Caapilla, the Las Bendvita's animas, the Purgatorio, or the Chapel of the what was it, the Saved Souls. I can't even translate it right now. The Chapel of the Blessed Souls in purgatory exorcism predates the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century. This says exorcism predates. But I'm going to say that they are probably using the word exorcism as a sort of catch hall. There was maybe something that Indigenous people we're doing, we're practicing that was maybe similar as some sort of like spiritual cleansing, because we know that those practices also existed.

29:32 But they're saying exorcism. It probably was not outright exorcisms or possession, but maybe something similar. You know this, it was parallel to that, and so that's what they're calling it. Just clarifying there, This says Aztec healers burned herbs and prayed to eliminate the influence of bad spirits. There you go. Nowadays, the Roman Catholic Church follows the guidelines contained in a book published by the Vatican, again very strict protocols. Signs of possession could be, for example, speaking in a foreign language that the person does not know, or being familiar with events that happened in a far away places or in other times. Listen, Jeff and I are saving up to go on a trip right now, and if all I had to do was get possessed to learn. A language, I might be willing to cut a deal.

30:13 You know. I just know Jeff is fuming in the control room right now, shaking his head. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm not gonna give up my soul for a language. I'll just keep learning online. This continues. In a common exorcism, a priest performs a ceremony that includes sprinkling holy water over the possessed person and reciting prayers ordering the devil to depart, begone. Devil. Critics argue that priests commonly mistake mental illness such as schizophrenia or epilepsy, and think instead they are confronting a demonic possession. But one priest, Roheliocano, told the BBC that the New Church will only accept cases that have been already treated by doctors and psychiatrists, which I think should be I thought it was the basis that was like the official Catholic Church's stance, like that that's always in it. Again, I'm assuming that there are many instances where people who are either officially part of the church or not will will take on a case. And also I don't I personally don't think someone has to be officially part of the church to conduct what some may describe as an exorcism.

31:17 I think spiritual healing looks like many different things. It comes in many different forms. So yeah, what we know. I think as like exorcisms, as like mainstream the movies exorcisms and possessions is it's usually from the Catholic Church, right, But again I think we know more here in the sustal household that we know that. You know, spiritual healing again and cleansing comes in many different forms from many different practices. With that, we are going to go ahead and take a quick break. Welcome back, girl friends. So our next source is from a tv astheca gheretro and this one essentially it feels like an exorcism one oh one, you know, like a give not how to perform one, but it breaks down what an exorcism is, which I know that we've covered in other episodes, but let's let's revisit it, let's refresh our knowledge. But this is titled again tvsk go Gretto. It's titled where is the chapel in Gherethule where exorcisms are performed? Side note, I really like saying the word get at that ale. It just rolls off the tongue. Get at that all very nicely.

32:34 Let's continue gett that all, in addition to being a state rich in history and culture, is also recognized for housing the only place in Mexico where exorcisms are performed. Again, like I mentioned, spiritual healing, spiritual cleansings, spiritual work, it exists in many different forms. I am sure that this one chapel or this one state is the only place throughout all of Mexico where exorcisms are happening. I don't by that, but this is I guess, their official stance on that. And this says when we hear the words exorcism or exorcists, we might immediately think of the movie The Exorcist. Like I said, that mainstream kind of work, released in nineteen seventy three. However, perhaps our understanding of everything involved in an exorcism is biased by what Hollywood portrays in its films, which I'm sure it is.

33:21 Also. I don't know why it took me so long, but like maybe like a year or two ago, I don't know, Jeff and I went to go watch one of the latest exorcist movies, and maybe it's just because in this movie it felt so apparent, but it finally clicked in my head, I was like, Oh, all of these exorcism movies, all of these possession movies, they're just they're Catholic propaganda. That's all it is. Which thinking of it. Now, I'm like, yeah, no, shit, idiot. But I don't know why. I know I shouldn't talk to myself that way, but I don't know why it took me so long to like, what's not clicking? I don't I don't know. And but again, that movie it was just I think it was done with the twins or not the twins, the best friends, the earlies, and it was like dual possession.

34:02 But after watching that one, I thought, wow, yeah, no, really it was. It was just so apparent in that one. Anyway, sorry for that sharp left turn. This continues and it says what are exorcisms? Great question? According to the Catholic Church, and exorcism is a specific prayer used by the Church against the power of a demon. These prayers are used for protection against demons or to free people who are possessed by one. In the latter case, the Church publicly and authoritatively asks in the name of Jesus for the protection and liberation of that person. Also, speaking of this, word liberation. There was something mentioned earlier in the story, and I think it appears in the sources a few times, the phrase prayers of liberation.

34:44 So prayers of liberation. Are not necessarily for possessions or part of exorcisms. They are more for when somebody is who is part of the church is dealing with something. Well, maybe it's like they're dealing with substance abuse. Let's say that's usually a big one. Is they will people will do. Prayers of liberation to liberate them from whatever is ailing them. So that is and I had to look that up to that is what a prayer of liberation is. It's an official thing. Apparently I'm not part of the church. I could be wrong. This says, what are exorcists? Great question. An exorcist is. A person trained to perform these types of prayers. The only people who can carry out major exorcisms are a bishop or a priest who has obtained special and express permission from the diocesan bishop. It's all about it has to be official. You have to get the right permissions for it to be an official Catholic exorcism. And this ritual cannot be performed by just anyone Therefore, the public is always urged not to take it lightly and to treat it with due seriousness. Obviously, next question, what is the process of an exorcism? Like fabulous question? Before performing this ritual, the case must meet certain criteria to be classified as such. Therefore, a preliminary investigation must be conducted.

35:57 This investigation involves ruling out any no natural causes that might be affecting the person. If no natural cause can be found to affect the person, an investigation is conducted into the types of practices the person has engaged in that could be considered the cause of the possession. So I think this is where they start asking have you ever played with Luigi board? Do you get your tarot cards read? Why is this your fault? Essentially, if solid evidence is found that it is indeed demonic possession, the exorcism process begins. According to the testimonies of some priests, the ritual begins with the blessing of holy water, followed by the recitation of the Litany of the Saints. Next comes the reading of the Word of God, followed by the laying on of hands. Then comes the profession of faith, a prayer to the Father and finally, a recitation that allows the person to be freed from all evil. I like this part, this says. The priests also shared that the duration of exorcisms ranges from twenty to thirty minutes, depending on the case.

36:54 I don't know why. To me, that's like, hey, what are you doing later? Doanagother movies? Ah? You know what? Time? Because I got to form an exorcism, so it is sable like thirty minutes. I can go to movies at like six, maybe not before then. My exorcism should be done by then. Obviously that's not how that conversation goes, but sounds funny in my head. This wraps up here the Chapel of the Holy Souls in Purgatory in Kharettatro, and this says again, which is the chapel that we've been talking about, They write here. Located in the municipality of Cologne in Gharetarro, the Chapel of the Blessed Souls in Purgatory is the only place in Mexico where exorcisms and deliverances are performed. It is said that more than forty extorcisms have taken place there, and this was founded in twenty ten. I think is when they started. When they opened its doors officially to not the public, well yeah, to the public, but also for its services.

37:40 This was oh wow. This was published in twenty twenty four, so not that long ago. But since opening in twenty ten to twenty twenty fours of fourteen years, there were forty exorcisms they performed there. They continue. It was founded again by Father Mario. They got spedding in twenty ten. However, he had founded the Ministry of Exorcism in two thousand four, so the Ministry as an entity existed in two thousand and four. The chapel was officially opened in twenty ten. This says again due to the high demand for these rights in the region, donations began to be made in two thousand and six for the construction of this facility and it was finally opened in twenty ten. It's a pretty good quick turnaround, like six years. This says.

38:20 The chapel is open to the public at any time. Those who are skeptical or easily influenced are advised not to visit the chapel, and if they do, they are advised to exercise caution at all times. Visitors are welcome to take photographs and videos. I I'm not gonna lie. I would be down to visit, but I would be wearing all the protections. I would go into the basilika first, douse myself in holy water, and then be like, all right, let's go. Because as was mentioned in the story, and I'm not sure what the actual belief is, let's check that really quick. Let's say, does an X or no capslock? Does an X or sism kill the demon? Let's see. I want to try and find Okay, exchange, let's see an exorcist on what happens during an exorcism? I want to know does it kill the demon? Here you go in the last paragraph of this source. This is Catholic exchange dot com. The final question is difficult to answer.

39:12 Where does the spirit of evil go once it leaves the person? It is not known. I command him in the name of Jesus to return to the eternal inferno or to go under the cross of Jesus, who is the only one who can order him where to go. So it's open for interpretation, is what it seems like. And that is really scary to me. And I can see why people would be apprehensive to go to this place where in the span of fourteen years, forty exorcisms were carried out. Assuming that all of those were successful, where does the demon go? Where does the evil entity or energy go after the exorcism is performed. Does it hang around there just waiting for someone to walk in and say, there's my next target?

39:53 I don't know. Okay. This next source, this one I thought was interesting because it mentions something about the style of the chapel, I think. And this is from Luni Versal Gerro dot MX and it's titled the Chapel of Souls, the site dedicated to exorcism in Gherretro and the subheading it says itself is it is an otto me temple with rituals in Latin. It is located in the municipality of Colon and so I was very curious what this means. And there's photos of the chapel, the inside of the chapel here, which we'll throw up on the video. And it says here its style is ancient Ottomi because of its roots in the middle of a canyon, like the chapels of souls in this region, explains Father Pinna A Dinandez. So I was looking this up and I couldn't find an official source, but from what I did see is that in the area in Gherretro that it is on, that is I'm assuming it's oto Mi land, it's the indigenous Ottomi people, and so it was constructed either by Ottomi people, like in collaboration with them, because they also use this chapel, or or maybe purely in.

41:01 The style, like the esthetic style of it. Again, I couldn't find an official source that gave me like a concrete answer. I'm just piecing things right now together from what I found online. So I thought that's why this was interesting, because it mentions that, and then of course it talks about all the stuff that we've been talking about here, like when it was founded. It does say that this like it mentions how it's open to the public. But I thought this was also interesting. In this source it says to get there, you have to answer through the back of the vasilica, go through several corridors, go down some stairs, and cross a large garden. So it's it's open to the public, but it's not. It seems like it is not just right in the smack in the dav of the center. You know, it's not just like available and open and like, hey, everybody, it's right here.

41:41 Like they're not. Advertising the space, if that makes sense. It's kind of. A trek to find it on the grounds. You have to go like knowing what you're searching for. It's not you just go to the basilica and you see this chapel and hey, let's go see that. No, you have to know what you're looking for to find it. Essentially, this describes the inside. It says the chapel appears simple Sian glass windows depict purgatory, where souls atoning for their sins prepared to ascend to heaven. An image of Jesus stands to one side, with an ultra devoid of other images, bearing only a small cross, pews for about ten people, and two figures of the archangels Gabriel and Raphael at the back of the chapel. Outside the venue, a large open space with tall trees whose branches creak when moved by the wind completes the setting. So it seems like a kind of an eerie place. And this has a couple quotes that stood out to me as well. This says the priest explains that the process involves interviewing the person undergoing the ritual, examining them with a psychologist, and observing a manifestation such as levitating objects, moving furniture, speaking in debt or ancient languages, or exhibiting an aversion to the sacred or rejecting any sacred object without being aware of it. Once these conditions are met, the exorcism can be performed.

42:49 Quote. It is a ritual performed in Latin, that is the ancient rite. There are others adapted to the episcopal conferences, and they are already in Spanish. Here in the chapel was built for the ancient right, the complete right, which has a whole structure. From the moment the person is received, the profession of the creed, the renewal of baptismal promises, the reading of the Gospel, and some psalms. And again I believe that was from a quote from Father Bignette Nandez. Another quote here says again I'm assuming from him. Then comes suplicatory prayers, then imperative prayers, and the process continues. The exorcist is accompanied by a team that helps him to ensure that the possessed person does not cause physical harm. There is usually a nurse or a doctor. There are some other people who help pray and others who help discern.

43:35 Again more of the stay away from these things. This wraps up, and it says to avoid falling into this trap, the priest recommends not being influenced by suggestion quote, not invoking or going to places where there is a witchcraft so not here, not playing with objects like the Luigi board, oops, not entering dark places. And the third and best thing is to seek closeness with God and the sacraments. It is the best protection of all being close to God. This gives me, and of course it's the Catholic Church, so that is very much their stance. It gives me like abstinence only. Abstinence is the only answer. It is the only way to prevent STIs, which sure, but how realistic is that? And I don't know it just it just reminded me of that in like schools and of course in Texas, where it's like just don't do it at all and that's it and that's the end and there's no other options. But it's like, well, there should be other options, because what if people do get involved with these things, like they should know, like we mentioned earlier use protection like rosary beads or something.

44:38 I don't know. With that, we are going to take one more break. Welcome back, girl Friends. Our next source here is from j Store, and this is an article I believe. Yes, it's a journal article from the Journal of American Folklore, which apparently is it's like an association. There is the National the American Folklore Society, and I want to join, so hi, y'all, if you're listening, I will be putting in my application to join.

45:19 But this is from an article from there. It says that it's by Henry Charles Lea, and I believe the dates that I'm seeing here are January through March eighteen ninety, so I'm assuming that's when this was published eighteen ninety. I don't know, but this is titled The End dem on Yadas of Gheretro, and the word end de Monyada it means possessed, So the possessed ones the end de Monyadas of Khretro. This is a six page pdf, a six page article, and I read through it and I took some notes. I know, listen, we came really prepared for this episode. Sorry, I'm always like, oh, this is a bunch of pages, so if you want to read it, go for it. No, I actually took the time.

45:59 I think you definitely should read this, but some of the notes that I took, so in this six page article they write about the endem on Yavas of Kedetha, or the possessed one. So there was there were several cases of possession in the sixteen hundreds in Godethole. However, what they. Ended up finding out is that many of these cases of possession they were fake. They were feigned. A woman had admitted to faking it to one of the priests because there were two priests that were essentially like in competition to exercise her to see who could accomplish it. But it went on so long and she had to carry on the act for so long that she was like, you know what, Sorry, I was faking it.

46:39 I'm tired. Which girl, if you wanted attention, just say that. So, yeah, there's cases like that where people claimed to be possessed or to be suffering a demonic oppression. And then when they decided in the sixteen hundreds, I'm sure this was before they were like no, it could be mental health. They were immediately like yes, it's possession. Let's exercise you, let's save your soul. Then it turned into a big show and these people had to be like, oh, second thought. I'm actually tired. Never mind. After this case where this woman admitted to faking the possession, the church wanted to avoid because obviously it would be a scandal like these priests were one they were duped, and two I'm assuming that they believed the church believed it would lessen their credibility. That'd be like, oh, well, so then it is any of this real right, and of course the church cannot have that. So to avoid scandal and to avoid involving the inquisition at the time, they cured her privately because essentially it was made into a show like they were doing this publicly at the church, and once she admitted, they were like, okay, well, number one, we will make it so that you were not in trouble, but you have to say that we cured you. Essentially that they cured her in private. So that's how they avoided all of that right quit pro quo. Later in the article, they talk about how alleged possessed people would claimed to see the sorceresses or the witches who sent the demons to possess them. So they would say that they had a vision in a dream or something and that they would see, oh my god, this is the

48:10 person and they're a witch. And this person who's a witch, sent a demon to possess me, to harm me and these people. Again, the inquisition was happening at this time. The Inquisition would arrest these people that were accused of being It was very Salem witch trials, like oh no, like this person sent a demon to possess me, boom arrested, Hello, which is wild this listen, I'm saying you should read this article at six pages full of drama. They talk about the treatment as well. So, like we mentioned earlier, in that one case, this woman was cured. She was treated and cured, but she was cured privately, although they were making a spectacle of it at first, suddenly cured in private, right, But this says in some cases, I thought this was very interesting that quote Indian wise women.

48:54 But we would maybe assume. Our shamans or spiritual healers of some sort from the indigenous people were called in to help by performing what are called inunctions and an inunction I n u n ct io ns inunction is the act of applying oil or ointment with herbs so they would get essentially I'm going to call it a vadiva like a rub down. You'll see, we've talked about before that people do vadivas with the wevels, with the eggs. They do, you know, to get a diagnosis of maybe what's happening, to treat like a low grade sousto. There are and again there are many other practices to do spiritual healing, but an inunction was something that they were doing at that time, and people probably still do now. But it's interesting that the Church was calling in people that they had oppressed to use their practices when it was convenient for them, right, Which is very annoying on its own, but still very interesting that the Church still recognized, like, maybe we should bring these people into help, any backup helps right. Also called in were a group of people of men known as the badhis Apostolikos or the Appolistic Fathers. I believe I have a hyperlink here, but essentially this is from Newadventu dot org from the Catholic Encyclopedia. This says that the Apolistic Fathers were Christian writers of the first and second centuries who are known or are considered to have had personal relations with some of the Apostles, with some of Jesus's Twelve Apostles, or to have been so influenced by them that their writings may be held as echoes of genuine apolistic readings. Am I saying that right? Apple,

50:27 I'm saying apolistic apostolic? Apostolic? Sorry, like the apostles apostolic? There you go, just in your minds rewire what I said there. But yeah, these badhis Apostolicos, that they had a connection to the original Apostles, and so that they have this group now or at the time they had a group, so they were also called into help. And when this happened with the badhis Apostolicos, gosh, it's hard to say for me, but when this happened with them, apparently it was very publicly performed, and that even the community was encouraged to participate and quote stimulate religious exaltation. So they had in the article they described that as women walking in circles barefoot, and they had the men.

51:12 I don't know, the men were doing something else. They think they were like shouting or something. Again, to stimulate religious exaltation. Which witchcraft. It's you all are doing witchcraft in the church. You're forming circles to summon the spirit of Jesus. To help with that's witchcraft. Anyway. When this happened in this in the case where the batherities were called in and the group where the whole church was participating, fourteen attendees were allegedly also possessed in the process. So while they were trying to exercise the people were that needed it, allegedly fourteen other people in the process were also possessed by different entities. Two of them, a man and a boy, were killed while receiving their own treatment. This is a quote from the article. It says an old man and a boy who were subjected to such active treatment of few negations of sulfur and incense by the friars that they died, each declaring with his last breath that he was not possessed. This is the kicker, which was explained to be merely an astute trick of the demons to create infidel unbelief. So these men were being suffocated with smoked with smoke, sulfur and incense, and as they were like Okay, no, I'm not possessed, which, as we know now, people often faked it. But when the church was like, all right, smoke them out, and they were like, oh, actually no, never mind, I'm not possessed.

52:32 When I possessed, they were like, that's the demon lying mods ban him. We don't do that here. What Like, they killed people in this process. And I think now that is why there are such rigid guidelines for possession, because there's a very deep, dark history of people being harmed by the church in alleged exorcisms or exorcisms for alleged possessions. But anyway, I also have in my notes here that various religious orders turned against each other in some sort of competitive vibe. So as mentioned earlier, with that one case where there were two priests like publicly trying to exercise this woman, with these other cases, there were several religious orders, which I believe it was the I could have this wrong. I believe in the article that said there were Christians, Carmelites, and Jesuits, I think those are different things. I'm not a religious expert. I should have written that in my note too, that apparently those religious orders or sects they were in this like weird competition to exercise this group of people, and that eventually they called it off. So this continues that it was called off because a junta that gottifikada what is was called a junta de gottifikada. It is is a board of censors or a board of qualifiers. So essentially it's like the review board. Think of like the Osha of the Catholic Church. You know, they are the people that go into review. What is happening is everything like above board? Are we all doing it right? And I have a definitition here that says it was an advisory panel of theologians and canon lawyers used by the Holy Inquisition.

53:57 Their primary purpose was to read, evaluate, and interpret the orthodoxy of texts, sermons, and the actions of individuals suspected of heresy. So once these people came in, because I believe it was those three religious sects they called in the Inquisition to be like, hey, step in these the Carmelites. We're doing this right. But they're not. Like they tried to snitch on each other again, this article full of drama. They the Inquisition stepped in and that's when everyone backed off. And suddenly once This happened when the individuals that were allegedly possessed that they were trying to exercise when the Inquisition stepped in, those religious orders stepped back because they were like, oh, we don't want to get in trouble with the Inquisition. Suddenly the alleged possessed were cured and all the excitement died down.

54:45 All of the attention they were getting went away. And when that happened, when nobody was paying attention to them because the Inquisition was like, actually, you're all wrong, stop, they were like, oh, cured, done, I'm not possessed anymore. So very funny. All except for one. There is one woman I leave. It was a group of three or four of them. Of these women, there was one woman who was said to still suffer after the extorcisms were called off, but she was eventually put into the care of the church, and they repeatedly reported that she was under their care, but it wasn't because of any sort of demonic affliction. They said that she wasn't possessed, but she was experiencing what we would call now mental health crises. That she they were like, you're not possessed, but also there is quote something wrong with her, so she was under the care of the church for a very long time, even though they never took her case on. So, like I mentioned this, those are just a couple notes. I think those are like all like the high level things, like the heavy hitter information from this article. But I encourage all to read it. It's only six pages. I will say I had to read a couple things a few times over because it's not in like modern English language, but definitely still enough to understand. And it was just full of drama. Like I mentioned here, I was like, wait, I need to read more about those like ancient communications between because that's what this was is. Essentially, it was like a letter that somebody wrote a church person wrote to another, like someone officially part of the church, essentially like gossiping, Like check out the story, this is what happened these people.

56:09 Lol. But again, this was. An article titled The Endemonyadas of geret Oro by Henry Charles Lea. I found it here in Jastore. I'm sure you could find it in other places, but it's officially from the Journal of American Folklore, volume three, number eight. With that, we're gonna go ahead and take one final break, Welcome back, well friends, all right? This next source almost our last one, but not quite yet. This is from the audio that Keeretro. It's oem dot com dot mx slash the audio that Keretro and it's titled they perform twenty extorcisms a week. This is published in April of twenty twenty one. I do not see a byline here.

56:58 I don't have a name. I think actually I think it might be able de la Garsam. But this says it starts off with a quote and it says I see the devil every day, says Catholic Church spokesman Martin Lara, adding that again witchcraft rituals like voodoo cleansings and the use of fire circles, as well as the worship of death are commonly practiced in Gherrettro. Again they're blaming all these practices which we just read about priests calling in the community to run barefoot in circles to summon the spirit of Jesus Christ. Let's be very real with each other, okay, anyway, Sorry, this continues. The Catholic Church is performing up to twenty exorcisms per week during the pandemic. Again, this is published in twenty twenty one dated the Vicar of the Diocese of Gherretro, Martin Laa Besseri, while warning that witchcraft and its rituals such as voodoo cleansings and the use of fire circles are commonly practiced in Gherretro, in addition to the worship of Death or La Santa Merte, which is anything but quote holy, since it is a demon, we have also done an episode of Santa Merte. She is not a demon her alone. It is a religion the same way that the Catholic religion wants respect. I think you should respect other religions. But anyway with that means go listen to this something about the episode we've done and here before again it's the quote where he says that he sees the devil every day. One of the few authorized to cast out demons and to coordinate to the group of exorcist priests in the diocese is Martin Lara.

58:20 Right. He stated that the week with the fewest exorcisms was four, so that means in any of those given weeks, the least amount of exorcisms in that in one week was four of them. However, he clarified that they don't keep statistics out of respect for the people involved. So religious hippa right. I will also say I think there's something to be said about this happening in the pandemic. I believe I've had this conversation before where spirituality and spiritualism has spikes or like increases when there is widespread like strife or panic. So I think something like a global pandemic, especially when people are home, they have to be forced to stay home, then they look for more answers in global moments of fear, right, So it would make sense that there would be more interest in this. But again, it could also be that somebody caught their their teen at home taking up taro because they wanted to. They had nothing but time on their hands during the pandemic, and they're like, oh my teen is rebelling. They're possessed, and that could have been one of the forty exorcisms that happened. Right, It's not like a real valid case, but who knows. That was the one thing that I thought was really interesting about this article was that this talks about the pandemic, and I wish it it went more into that, But I was like, Okay, I'm glad that they mentioned it here. Anyway, this continues with a quote they said, during the week, I dedicate one day to this issue on Sunday's after Mass, and on Monday afternoons and evenings, I performed prayers of liberation again or exorcisms, because those are two different things, as we mentioned earlier, as determined in the Chapel of Divine Providence in the Casa Blanca neighborhood. So this is a different chapel in

59:54 a different neighborhood than what this whole episode is about. And I wanted to mention this as well, because, as I said earlier, they said this is the only place that extorcisms happen in Mexico. This is published in twenty twenty one, eleven years after the Ministry of Exorcisms was founded and they opened their chapel. So yeah, the exorisms, they were happening in other places, not only throughout Mexico, but like throughout ghetatot All. Right, this happened in get. I don't know, I could be wrong, but yeah, there's more exorcisms happening throughout Mexico. Then they talk about the behaviors of people who are allegedly experiencing possession. It talks about the mental health aspect. There's a quote here where he says they even levitate or walk on walls or ceilings. It hasn't happened to me, but there are witnesses that this happens and will continue to happen, he reported.

1:00:39 I want to see it, you know. I'm like, i want to see the proof, but also I feel like I've already see it. I would probably freak out, so never mind. But there are. Alleged eyewitnesses to this happening him. This person who performs actual exorcisms has never seen it himself, although he's performing allegedly countless of them. But he's heard of those things happening, So I don't know. It's always It's all always that case, right, It's always you hear from a friend of a friend or from a podcast, these stories. He continues. Of course, this is not a new topic. Jesus encountered the devil several times and cast him out of people, he stated. First and foremost, he emphasized, the person considered possessed must be evaluated again. We need to determine if it is a physical illness a mental psychological illness, or if it is indeed a case of possession. So we'll move on to the next source. That's just what I wanted to Those are a couple of things I wanted it to point out from this specific article. So this final source here is again from tv Astkakreto, and this is about the most famous exorcism cases in Gedethro. These are pretty short.

1:01:36 So this first one here says what happened in the case of the young woman in Cologne. It says one of the incidents that has generated the greatest uproar occurred in Cologne, where a fake exorcism ritual was led by a man posing as a priest who allegedly abused a young woman. Upon realizing the man's false identity, citizens attempted to lynch him, which I'm just going to make face. I'm not going to say anything about that one. This next one says a family spirit or a hoax. One of the stories that caused the most impact in the municipality of Cologne was that of a family whose daughter claimed to be speaking with her deceased grandfather. According to some accounts, unusual noises were heard in the house, the spirit began giving strange commands. Sometime later, the young woman stated that the instructions did not come from her grandfather's spirit, but from a supposed demon that had come for them.

1:02:27 This situation led the family to seek help, and the woman underwent an exorcism. I hear about this happening, and this is one of those tropes that's popular in movies, is that the demon is disguising itself as a loved one, as a child, often to like lower your guard and gain that sense of trust from you so that they can then kind of proceed with the possession. This next one says a property in Ezekiel, Montes. It says in the municipality of Ezekiel Montes, a group of teenagers. And this is one that we mentioned in the story, but Jeff said that we left out details because I was like, that's a whole different thing, and it was a smart move, Jeff, to leave that part out. But I'm glad that we're talking about it here. It says that a group of teenagers decided to experience the adrenaline rush of living their own deaths by burying themselves alive, hoping to make contact with the afterlife. This is a ritual that I have never heard about, and I certainly would never try being buried alive. It is like top three nightmare fuel No thank you. Anyway, this continues. After performing the act, one of the young women exhibited unusual behavior. Her family, confused by this situation, sought help from a priest, who declared it a case of possession. I feel like I need all the details about this, like what exactly was this ritual?

1:03:42 What did you say when it was happening? Where did it take place? What land was it on? Like if this was if I was a movie writer a director, I'd be like, okay, yeah, well this will take place in a cemetery, obviously, because that is like scarier burying yourself alive to talk. To the dead. No thank you, no thank you, no thank you. That would that would make sense. That seems like some really dark shit that could lead to spiritual attacks. That was the final one in the list, But this does wrap up here. Myth or reality stories of exorcisms and possessions in Gedreethatol are part of the local lore. Some are based on personal experiences and testimonies from residents, Others on alleged practices that ended in tragedy. However, these stories still retain the mystery that has led them to be told throughout history. Okay, and that was the end of our sources.

1:04:41 Welcome back, cool friend, Thank you so much for joining us for today's episode. Reminders one last time that the book club book for this month for June is Binata by Leopolu, and anybody can join us. Just make sure that you're following at Sustal Podcast for any and all reminders about the show, about the book Club, about anything we have going on, and possibly events, which leads me to my next reminder about bookings. Once more, I am available for life storytelling, panel discussions and moderation, guest spots, hosting and podcasting workshops. You reach out to me whatever you need. And I also just want to say this is not only for spooky season. We can do this all year round, the same way that I do the show all year round. I am available for whatever you got going on all year long.

1:05:25 You just let me know. And lastly, make sure that you are sending in your scary stories to be featured on a Letters from the Beyond episode or on social media. If it is a photo video or an EVP, you just use the Submit story on my website that's sustalpodcast dot com or in the episode description below. And if you don't have a written story like I mentioned, you can also send in a photo, a video, or an EVP. Lastly, make sure that you are supporting sustal wherever you are listening by engaging with the show so that is leaving positive ratings and reviews or comments. And you can also get access to bonus and exclusive content and watch me do do this right on video by visiting susto plus dot com. Many blessings upon this episode's patron saints and you are Liza Rachel, Alejandra Luther, April d Josette, Amanda Lauri, Genie, desire c Ashes, Nedessa, rachel A, Asusenna, Marlene Chata, Laney, Desiree A Ricardo, Vanessa, Mariza Manormalt, Iris Floud, Selina Nightingville, Clint, Rachel W. Rmani and Bianca. Thank you so so much for your support. It truly means the underworld to me.

1:06:35 I would bury myself for life. No, I'm kidding, I would not do that, sorry, but I still really appreciate it. I will talk to you all in The next one and until then, not Destas Byetta