Lugano Diocese appoints exorcist amid modernized approach

The silence is over. After a critical five-year vacancy, the Diocese of Lugano has officially re-armed itself against the spiritual unknown. Following the 2020 death of Father Sandro Vitalini, the post of official exorcist stood empty, leaving a gap that the Church is now moving swiftly to close. The appointment of Father Gabriele Diener marks a decisive return to tradition, but this is not a retreat into the Dark Ages—it is a calculated response to a modern crisis.

Father Willy Volonté, who temporarily shouldered the burden during the hiatus, describes the role as requiring a "calm, intelligent and competent person." This is no longer a fringe practice; it is a structured ecclesiastical office. Father Diener will not step into the fray immediately; he must first complete rigorous formal training, signaling that the Diocese is prioritizing competence over superstition. The move underscores a stark reality: the Church acknowledges a battle that many secular observers thought was finished, and they are preparing to fight it with renewed institutional vigor.

The demand for deliverance is skyrocketing. In neighboring Como, a newly established helpline for the San Michele team was inundated with over 100 calls in just a few days—a staggering volume that exposes the depth of human distress. This surge is not contained by borders; desperate residents from Ticino are crossing into Italy, pleading for help. One caller from Ticino bluntly stated, "I need an exorcism because someone who has sold their soul to the devil has cursed me."

Journalist Paolo Rodari offers a chilling testament to the reality these priests confront, recounting visceral scenes where he witnessed individuals "spit nails." These are not merely stories for horror films; they are the lived realities of people at their breaking point. Francesco, a man interviewed in Milan, described rolling on the floor and speaking in tongues during prayers of liberation. The sheer volume of these pleas reveals a society grappling with profound suffering, driving the faithful to seek interventions that conventional medicine cannot provide.

Forget the Hollywood tropes; the modern exorcist is a professional trained in the lecture halls of Rome. Today's practitioners must join an international association recognized by Pope Francis, which now boasts over 900 members globally. This professionalization is the Church's strategic weapon against a rising tide of "magicians and charlatans" who exploit the vulnerable for profit. As Don Ambrogio in Milan fiercely argues, without the Church, the desperate would fall prey to scammers promising false hope.

Crucially, the rite has evolved into a partnership with science. Exorcisms are now the final step, authorized only after rigorous medical, psychological, and psychiatric evaluations have ruled out natural causes. Lugano psychiatrist Carlo Calanchini supports this gatekeeping, noting that the real danger often lies with self-styled healers who urge patients to abandon medication. By enforcing university-level training and medical collaboration, the Church is reclaiming its territory, ensuring that spiritual warfare is conducted with clinical precision rather than reckless superstition.

While Ticino embraces the ritual, German-speaking Switzerland stands in stark contrast. North of the Alps, the specific office of the exorcist has largely vanished, replaced by a clinical, interdisciplinary approach. In St. Gallen, there is no diocesan exorcist. Instead, teams of clergy, doctors, and social workers manage cases, viewing potential "possession" through the lens of mental health rather than spiritual warfare.

Fritz Kreissl, a pastoral care manager in St. Gallen, draws a hard line: "Pope Francis speaks openly about the devil; I prefer not to." This theological divide reflects a broader cultural split. While the south mobilizes against a personified evil, the north interprets these phenomena as personality disorders requiring responsibility and therapy. As Lugano formalizes its spiritual defenses, the rest of Switzerland watches with skepticism, highlighting a deep fragmentation in how the country confronts the mysteries of the human soul.