At Christmas, among other things — in the midst of a main message of peace and joy; eternity awaits! — is also the reckoning with ghosts of things past — as well as those that are present. More souls are released on Christmas Day, it has been said (in certain private revelations), than on All Souls’ Day. Remember this Tuesday, during Mass. The veil is thin. As such, in this season, spirits tend to be more manifest — unfortunately, including unpleasant ones. They have their effects. We have previously noted that among the effects of evil or disincarnate spirits are electrical ones. This is borne out by reports, starting with a London newspaper, that during police interrogations this week of the world-famous “Christian” healer and spirit medium “John of God,” frightening paranormal phenomena occurred. He has been accused of assaults on five hundred women. As the London Mail relayed yesterday, “Unexplained incidents ranging from a ‘bizarre’ computer crash to wiring on electrical appliances suddenly ‘short circuiting’ appears to suggest supernatural forces were at play during the interview. The mysterious problems unnerved cops but didn’t deter them from collecting the testimony from faith healer, João Teixeira de Faria, who is known as João de Deus – John of God on Sunday night in Goiânia.” Cops are pretty hard-nosed types, but even they can be rattled, such as when, as happened with John, the printer in the interrogation room began to print without told to do so and that refrigerator “blew up.” When a detective turned on the air conditioning, which was on the same extension cord as the refrigerator, the fridge exploded — causing those in the room to scream. Continued the newspaper, “Detective Karla Fernandes, responsible for coordinating the task force investigating the allegations, claimed that as the spiritual guru began to speak, strange things started to happen. “She said: ‘Suddenly the computer that was being used to transcribe the suspect’s answers to the allegations seemed to have a life of its own and the commands on the keyboard wouldn’t work. When the clerk tried to enter the medium’s statement, the keys locked on a specific letter and ‘OOOOOOO’ was recorded continuously on the screen for a few seconds.'” At first bemused agents put the incident down to a “faulty computer.” That bemusement soon turned into fear. When it comes to the supernatural, there are always ways of rationalizing them — attributing them to natural causes. Sometimes they are due to natural causes. Often — more often than “rationalists” may realize — they are not. Through the years, we too have seen refrigerators develop sudden electrical problems, electrical pumps burn out, internet service to mysteriously go out, lights to burn out (or turn on mysteriously), cars to experience electrical issues (some major), air conditioning to blow a capacitor, and so forth, in association with proximity to people in need of spiritual deliverance. Most involved in spiritual warfare — certainly exorcists — record the same. More to the point, some involved with the arrest of Faria or the reporting of it took to prayer when a police clerk was run over by a car on the way to transcription and a news photographer lapsed into unconsciousness. The eerie phenomena is one issue. But more to the issue is the fact that: 1)– “John of the God” has Catholic pretenses. In his healing room are pictures of Jesus of Divine Mercy.

2)– It shows that because someone “heals” doesn’t mean it is of God at all. In the case of John, many have allegedly been cured of cancers, other ailments, and psychological distress. One of his patients: former President Bill Clinton. Devils can heal. Spirits can be imparted. He performs also “psychic surgery,” does “John,”  like the famous Brazilian occult healer, Arigo (who himself died in the car accident). That’s a third point: South American is rampant with “channelers” and “psychic surgeons.” The devil can heal — but his healings are temporary. And in the end, the “patient” ends up worse off than before. So it is that we always admonish people to pray and fast before letting anyone, even healing priests, lay on hands. Believe yes; Christ healed this way; so did His disciples. The Lord told us to do the same. But undertake it only in the total atmosphere of humility and holiness, after fasting, or stay clear.