The Exorcism of Pope Francis: A Moment the Vatican Tried to Bury

On May 19, 2013, something strange happened in the heart of Vatican City, something the Church didn’t want the world to notice. Pope Francis had just celebrated Pentecost Mass in St. Peter’s Square. As he made his way down a line of disabled individuals for blessings, he paused in front of a young man in a wheelchair… and that’s when everything changed.

The young man suddenly convulsed, his mouth twisted in a grimace of pain, and he began breathing heavily. Pope Francis placed both hands firmly on the man’s head and began to pray, not casually, but with visible force. The man’s entire body stiffened. Eyes rolled. Hands clenched.

The Vatican’s television cameras captured it all.

Within hours, speculation exploded: had Pope Francis performed an exorcism in broad daylight?

The Vatican denied it, of course. A spokesman claimed the Pope had merely offered a “blessing” and that no formal rite was performed. But experienced exorcists, including Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s chief exorcist at the time—watched the footage and claimed otherwise. “It was a real exorcism,” Amorth said. “He tried to liberate the possessed boy from the evil spirit.”

The young man, reportedly a Mexican national, had been brought to Rome by his handlers who claimed he was possessed by multiple demons, including those connected to abortion and murder. He allegedly had a history of violent outbursts and had been turned away by several priests before that encounter with the Pope.

To this day, the Church officially denies the event was an exorcism. But the footage still exists. The expression on Pope Francis’s face… the violent reaction of the young man… the spiritual weight of the moment, it all tells a different story.

Whatever happened in St. Peter’s Square that day, it serves as a haunting reminder: even the highest holy figures sometimes come face to face with something dark, ancient, and unholy.

Not all horror is fiction.

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