Possessed to spend

Demand for exorcisms – the rite of expelling evil spirits – is on the rise in some European countries, with France leading the pack, according to the Economist. This demand has sparked a rash of ‘freelance exorcists’: people outside the clergy who will charge 900 euros ($1,060) or more to rid clients of evil and break spells.

There are no official statistics on exorcisms in France. But the French Catholic priests as well as specialists from the Vatican that BBC Capital spoke to all agreed that the number is on the rise.

Father Georges Berson is one of two exorcists for the Paris and Ile-de-France region. He performs about 50 exorcisms a year but says he and his colleague can deal with as many as 2,500 exorcism-related inquiries annually.

Father Ange Rodriguez, a monk of the Dominican order, is the official exorcist of the Lyon diocese.

The 81-year-old says that while there has been an increase in demand for his services over the past decade, he’s also seen a correlated rise in ‘freelance operators’ – those not affiliated to the church who say they offer similar services but for a fee.

“There’s a lot of fraud. Many people pretend to be real exorcists and ask for very large sums of money for their services. But the church never charges for this service.”

BBC Capital contacted some self-proclaimed exorcists working in France outside the Catholic church and were told that spells could be broken. Expelling evil spirits would entail first a consultation, costing 50 euros, then, once the correct ritual required was established, the fee would be between 900 and 1,500 euros ($1064-$1774).