‘You’re listening to BBC Radio 4 and on ‘Sunday’ this morning we talk to one of the Church of England’s exorcists, the Reverend Nick De’Vilno. Rev, many people will be surprised to hear the church today still has exorcists.’
‘Actually we call it our deliverance ministry.’
‘Does the Church of England really believe people can be possessed?’
‘We believe some people genuinely believe they are possessed, “deliverance” is part of pastoral care: it is the ministry of liberating, freeing or delivering a person from a burden which they carry.’
‘But do you believe a person could really be possessed by demons or even The Devil himself?’
‘Our Lord talked about casting out demons, but that was the language his listeners would have understood.’
‘So you don’t believe Jesus cast out demons into a herd of swine.’
‘I believe the poor man would have seen his troubled mind eased in a way he could understand.’
‘I understand the Archbishop has given permission for the makers of the popular podcast ‘It Really Happened’ to follow your ministry.’
‘Yes indeed, but if listeners are hoping for sensationalism or to be terrified, they will be sorely disappointed. They will hear about our working together with mental health practitioners to help those in need.’
‘Welcome to this week’s special podcast with me Robbie Danson. I am waiting outside a very ordinary suburban house with the Reverend Nick De’Vilno, an exorcist with the Church of England, or as he prefers, a member of the church’s deliverance ministry. Inside the house is the owner, who we shall call David, as that is his name and with him is a mental health specialist who works in close collaboration with the deliverance ministry. When she comes out she will tell us if it is appropriate for Nick to chat to David.’
‘Just chat at this stage Nick?’
‘Of course, this is essentially a pastoral visit.’
‘Ah, the front door is opening now, a young woman is stepping, no running…
‘Oh God help us, run Robbie, I’m not going back in there again, run, let’s get out of here Vicar… I h..hope you really have ggot God on your side…’
‘Wait, wait calm down dear.’
‘Don’t you****ing tell me to calm down, that poor mmman, it’s going to get him…’
‘Okay, okay, I’ll just pop in and talk to him, see, there he is at the door.’
‘This is Robbie Danson still here, things are really kicking off, the mental health worker has fled and Nick has gone to talk to David… let’s move closer so we can hear.’
‘It’s okay David, what is it you are afraid of…’
‘The television, it was IN the television, like it has been for weeks, nobody believed me, horrible, horrible…’
‘We believe you, are you sure it wasn’t a horror movie, you accidentally knocked the remote control onto another channel. Let’s go inside and check.’
‘I can’t, I can’t get away, but I wwon’t go back in there.’
‘It will be okay, if it’s in the television set it can’t hurt you, look. I’ll go in first…’
‘NOOO you mustn’t … it, it came OUT of the television…’
‘This is the BBC News at Six O’clock, here are the headlines. A well know podcast has been widely criticised and The Archbishop of Canterbury is to make a statement shortly, after a member of the clergy and a parishioner he was trying to help, were both killed in an horrific unexplained accident.’
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 
Yikes! So, what horror came out of the television?
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What came out of the television set is too too horrible for WordPress!
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‘Nuff said! 😀
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That was very imaginative and inventive, Janet, and quite the cliffhanger…….and possibly, a parody on social media and the state of news broadcasting today……..both of which are very scary.
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Where’s Merrily Watkins when you need her? 😊
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Hello Clive, I had to look up Merrily Watkins, the books sound fun, yes they should call her. I have just started reading the first Granchester novel, they could do with Sidney chambers’ help as well.
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Hi Janet. Sorry, from your theme I thought you might have known those books. He has written fifteen of them, plus a number of others. A favourite author of mine, and I can recommend him. They made a tv series based on some of the books, but I preferred the books to be honest. I have some of the Grantchester novels in my Kindle library, but still on my TBR list!
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No I don’t recall a tv series either. I thought I would get back to basics and read the Grantchester books, I got fed up with the series when it seemed to get more and more ridiculous!
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It only ran for one series, so I’m guessing viewing figures weren’t that great. Or maybe people were like me and preferred the books. Too many tv series tend to go on like that – stretching out beyond what should have been their natural life span.
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Oh, my! Yes, I’m sure that Sidney would have known what to do:)
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Yes indeed Becky.
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Exorcising, sorry, exercising your imagination brilliantly. Janet. 🙂
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Thanks Doug
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Liz, don’t ask, unless you want them to spread to your TV too. 😀
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I am sure that this was on the television. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes you are right, I had forgotten, don’t think I have ever seen it, but the Japanese original is famous, a few people at writing group also reminded me. Strangely, my Virgin TV box has not worked since I posted this…
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That Japanese film really scared me. One of the few to do that.
Best wishes, Pete.
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After years of working in Law enforcement, I believe that though rare, demon possession is a real phenomenon. In a society that claims to deny the existence of the supernatural, you have to wonder why there is such an interest in horror movies and ghost stories? Perhaps there is part of us that knows the truth?
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Hello Mark, yes that’s interesting; anyone working in law enforcement or the medical world will meet and witness people and situations Joe Public does not see. They are also pretty down to earth people and if they are convinced they have seen something supernatural I believe them!
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It is SO much better than the later American remake, Janet.
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So true . . . some of the things I’ve seen. Most of it can be attributed to mental health, drugs, or other issues, but there have been a handful of cases that have me convinced that something more is going on.
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Your story just reminded me that as a small child I used to think that people lived inside the TV. Thanks for the reminder, Janet!
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Ha ha, yes Stevie, I used to think they lived in the cabinet under our TV and didn’t dare open the doors!
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