Influence of Satanism growing.

Rome -- The decline of Christianity in the Western world is opening the way for Satanism. In Britain, for example, most white Britons still call themselves Christian, but only 17% rate their religion as important to their identity. Religion rates much higher among Asian and black U.K. residents (British Home Office report as published in The Independent).

The decline in traditional Christian practice has been paralleled by the growth of interest in mysticism and "holistic activity". As humans seem wired to continually push the envelope, this has led to an expanded participation in New Age practices and from there to the old pagan religions of Druidism and Wicca, culminating at the extreme in Satanism.

Similar trends have been noted in Canada and U.S.A. where, among other manifestations, Hallowe'en sales are close to surpassing those at Christmas. However, it is events in Italy that have recently spurred concerns in the Catholic Church. In late 2004 a nun was murdered by three teenage girls, and two young men, members of a "heavy metal" rock band, were killed as human sacrifices by their fellow band-members. The episodes shocked the nation; in both cases the murders were part of Satanic rituals.

One response offered by the Church is a new course in Satanism and the occult due to start in the spring of 2005 at the prestigious pontifical university, Regina Angelorum. Open only to priests and seminarians, the two-month course will cover the anthropological, theological, and liturgical aspects of Satanism. It aims to help priests in their pastoral work, which may include helping troubled youth or parents whose children are involved in occult activities. The course will include a lecture on exorcism, presumably by Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican's chief exorcist, who, in 1999, updated the ritual from its 17th-century format.

Church sources estimate that a half million Italians, chiefly among the alienated young, have had contact with Satanic sects. In Britain, the Church of Satan claims to have 4,000 members. (Zenit, Sunday Telegraph, 9 Jan. 2005)