9/10's of the Law

A senior official at the Vatican has claimed that both Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were possessed by the devil.

“I am convinced that the Nazis were all possessed,” said Father Gabriele Amorth “All you have to do is think about what Hitler - and Stalin did. Almost certainly they were possessed by the Devil. You can tell by their behavior and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons."

No word yet on whether or not Father Amorth believes the crusaders under Alexis the First were possessed when they assaulted the Seljuk Turks and massacred the population of Jerusalem in the 11th century. Or if the atrocities against German and Hungarian Jews by Christians during subsequent crusades were the result of possession. Or the invasion of Mexico and enslavement of the Mayans in the name of Christianity in the 16th Century. Or the carnage of Pizarro and the other Spanish conquistadors. Or Columbus. Or…whatever, you see where this is going.

Father Amorth is one of the Church's chief proponents of the “crusade” against J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter novels, claiming that the author herself may be possessed and that her books teach children to dabble in the occult and black magic, which leads them astray from their faith and makes them susceptible to demonic possession.

Maybe next he will speak out against history books?