The priest said the term ‘exorcism’ was misunderstood and that his intention was to place “a blessing on the family home against evil”.
A Wexford priest has said that his plans to pay “exorcism” visits to the homes of communion and confirmation children in his diocese have been misunderstood.
A number of people in the Poulfur-Templetown region of Wexford had complained to the diocese of Ferns about comments made at mass by Father Michael Doyle about his plans to visit homes in the area to carry out an exorcism of evil.
Doyle told RTÉ News that he would visit the homes of first holy communion and confirmation children in the parish to bless their homes, but only by prior arrangement.
He said: “I would visit a house and do blessings. I’d do a blessing on the family, a blessing on the family home against evil.”
Doyle added that the use of the word ‘exorcism’ may not have been wise, saying: “When I was using the term ‘exorcism’ that’s what I meant. Not an exorcism in the formal way. Just a family blessing on the home.
“I should have probably teased it out a bit better. A blessing on the family and a blessing on the home.”
The diocese received a number of complaints about Doyle’s comments from parents, but Doyle said that the situation had been “blown out of proportion” and that he had already written to parents as he “could see there was some misunderstanding”.
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