Latest news with #exorcism
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Gay man wins five-figure payout after Church of England gave him 'exorcism' to try and turn him straight
A gay man has won a five-figure payout after he received an 'exorcism' at a Church of England parish in an attempt to try and turn him straight. Matthew Drapper, 37, was volunteering at St Thomas Philadelphia, Sheffield, in 2014 when he was told he had come under 'demonic possession' due to his 'sexual impurity'. He had been in attendance at a weekend event held at the church when a husband and wife told him that performing the ritual would rid him of his homosexuality, thus releasing demons from his body. During the exorcism, the couple, who were prayer leaders at the church, stood over him and said he had to 'break agreements with Hollywood and the media' as these were causing him to have gay feelings. Mr Drapper said when looking back 'it seems like something out of a horror movie' and that the encounter left him 'empty' and in a state of depression. He told The Times: 'For someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying. But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.' Mr Drapper said this caused him to lose his Christian faith over time and led him to leave the church in 2016 before he made a formal complaint three years later. He had requested an apology from the church but they initially claimed there was 'no evidence to substantiate' the claims - leading the Diocese of Sheffield, in agreement with Mr Drapper, to request Barnardo's charity to investigate in 2021. A review published by Barnardo's last year said Mr Drapper's claims were a 'supported fact' which they say 'was in our view a form of exorcism'. An extract of the report read: 'From the evidence available to us it is our view that the session took place as described by [Mr Drapper] and prayers were administered with the intention of changing his sexual identity.' Mr Drapper then launched a legal claim against St Thomas Philadelphia which resulted in the five-figure payout. After receiving an out-of-court settlement, he said he 'would have liked to have this matter heard in open court' but was told by insurers that his claim was beyond the legal time limit and that any processes lodged would be 'lengthy'. Representing Mr Drapper, Richard Scorer said his client's victory 'demonstrates that churches which engage in these abhorrent homophobic practices may face legal claims and damages awards'. After the Barnardo's review was published, the church said: 'We have accepted the outcomes of the first investigation and are saddened that eight years ago one of our community was not cared for in the way we would have liked. We sincerely apologised to them for this.'
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
Gay man subjected to ‘exorcism' at Sheffield church receives compensation
A gay man has been paid compensation from a Church of England parish after he was subjected to an 'exorcism' to purge him of his homosexuality, it has been reported. Matthew Drapper, 37, was a volunteer at St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation in Sheffield, in 2014 when he was invited to an 'encounter God weekend' at the 'contemporary, welcoming church', the Times reported. Drapper was told 'sexual impurity' had allowed demons to enter his body and that an exorcism was to be performed. During the incident he was instructed to 'break agreements with Hollywood and the media' that led him into an ungodly lifestyle. He said he was left deeply distressed after the exorcism, which was conducted by a married couple who were 'prayer leaders'. He felt so depressed and 'empty' that he considered taking his own life. Drapper told the Times: 'Looking back it seems like something out of a horror movie – for someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying. But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.' He left the church in 2016 and three years later made a formal complaint about the exorcism and requested an apology from St Thomas Philadelphia, which was supposed to operate under the safeguarding rules of the diocese of Sheffield. St Thomas initially claimed there was no evidence to the complaint but after Drapper pursued the issue, in 2021 the church commissioned Barnardo's to investigate. Last year, the charity published its review, which found it was a 'supported fact' that Drapper was subjected to a prayer session that 'was in our view a form of exorcism'. After publication of the review, Drapper made a legal claim against St Thomas Philadelphia which resulted in an out-of-court settlement and payment of a five-figure sum. The Guardian has contacted St Thomas Philadelphia for comment. After publication of the Barnardo's report, the church said: 'We have accepted the outcomes of the first investigation and are saddened that one of our community was not cared for in the way we would have liked. We sincerely apologised to them for this.'
Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Telegraph
Gay man wins payout over church ‘exorcism'
A gay man has won a five-figure payout from a Church of England parish where he was given an exorcism to rid him of homosexuality. Matthew Drapper, 37, was a volunteer at St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation in Sheffield, in 2014 when the exorcism took place. His compensation is believed to be the first of its kind. Mr Drapper, who is no longer a Christian, was told by a couple at a church event that he had come under 'demonic possession' because of 'sexual impurity'. The husband and wife, who were responsible for praying for members of the congregation, said they could see 'demons leaving' his body during the resultant exorcism. 'Something out of a horror movie' Mr Drapper told The Times: 'Looking back, it seems like something out of a horror movie – for someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying. 'But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.' Mr Drapper said that the experience left him feeling 'empty' and that he considered taking his own life. He left the church in 2016 and said he had 'lost my Christian faith because of this'. Mr Drapper made a formal complaint in 2019 but the church said there was 'no evidence to substantiate' his complaint. In 2021, the Diocese of Sheffield commissioned an investigation by Barnardo's, the children's charity. The review concluded last year that it was a 'supported fact' that Mr Drapper was subject to a prayer session, which was 'in our view a form of exorcism'. It found: 'From the evidence available to us it is our view that the session took place as described by [Mr Drapper] and prayers were administered with the intention of changing his sexual identity.' Mr Drapper then launched legal action against the church, resulting in a five-figure out-of-court settlement. The 37-year-old said: 'You imagine this kind of practice to be outdated but it has been revived in recent decades and is often referred to as 'power healing'. 'I know around 20 people who have been through it but I suspected there are many, many more.' 'Abhorrent homophobic practices' Richard Scorer, Mr Drapper's lawyer, told The Times: 'As far as I am aware this is the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices. 'It demonstrates that churches which engage in these abhorrent homophobic practices may face legal claims and damages awards, and I hope it will encourage churches to ban such practices entirely.' Following the publication of the Barnardo's report, St Thomas Philadelphia said: 'We have accepted the outcomes of the first investigation and are saddened that one of our community was not cared for in the way we would have liked. We sincerely apologised to them for this.'
Geek Girl Authority
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Book Review: THIS IS MY BODY
Thank you to Quirk Books for sending me a copy of This Is My Body in exchange for an honest review. This Is My Body is the second horror novel by Lindsay King-Miller, who earned notoriety with her debut, The Z Word. While I haven't had a chance to check out The Z Word yet, I will soon, based on the strength of This Is My Body. A tale of possession, exorcism and intergenerational Catholic trauma, This Is My Body is as hard to put out of your mind as the most stubborn and persistent of demons. This Is My Body In This Is My Body, we're introduced to Brigid Byrne. A gay single mother and business owner, Brigid lives in the (fictional) small mountain town of Bristlecone, Colorado. She lives with her daughter, Dylan, a teenager who has entered an exceptionally rough patch. Brigid also runs her shop, Tenth Muse, which sells Tarot cards, magick books, trinkets and colored candles to tourists. Brigid isn't a true believer, but her two employees are. Dylan's difficulties at school and home are growing more severe. After an altercation with a boy who used to be her friend, she is facing disciplinary action. Meanwhile, a figure from Brigid's past appears in the shop. This is Eileen Mulligan, mother of Brigid's long-lost first love, Alexandra 'Zandy' Mulligan. RELATED: Book Review: Crueler Mercies Brigid and Zandy used to be neighbors back when they were both teens living in Denver. In those days, Brigid lived with her (now late) mother, Adelaide, and her mother's brother, Father Angus. However, her mother and uncle were both oppressively Catholic. When Brigid's fledging romance with Zandy was discovered, Brigid was forbidden from ever seeing her first love again. Ultimately, Brigid left home when she was old enough to go to college and never looked back. But as Brigid reconnects with Zandy, she learns Angus is still a fixture in the neighborhood. As the two women begin to rekindle their relationship, Dylan's troubles grow more pronounced. Soon, they escalate to new and unignorable depths. However, Angus had a specialty: exorcisms. With nowhere left to turn, Brigid must bring her daughter to the one place she'd never considered bringing her before: home. Father Uncle Exorcist A tight, tense horror novel that neither skimps on nor is bogged down by its depth, This Is My Body is an excellent and irresistible read. As the novel progresses, the narrative steadily rises until it reaches a rolling boil in the climax. I couldn't put this book down. I started reading it on Wednesday afternoon and finished it by Friday at five. Now, I don't think I will be alone in this. And as horrific as the story can be at times, I enjoyed spending time with the characters throughout. As usual, the trick with these reviews is to share my thoughts without sharing any spoilers. Suffice it to say that one of my favorite parts of the novel is the way the core theme becomes clear not in the earliest pages but in the story's climax. Like the best reveals, this serves as a key that retroactively contextualizes the entire book. Much is made these days about horror with a deeper meaning (not that it's actually anything new). RELATED: Book Review: A Far Better Thing But while some high-profile horror is characterized by its facile engagement with its ostensible themes, that's not the case with This Is My Body. As a queer woman who was raised Catholic and subsequently left the Church, I found this novel's thematic explorations to be meaningful, thoughtful and satisfying. There's another element of my personal history that played into my enjoyment of this novel as well. I lived in Colorado for a decade when I was younger. This Is My Body does a superb job of including details about the state that really makes the setting come alive. It is very clear that King-Miller is writing the Mile High State from a place of personal experience. Available August 5 While the release date is a month away, you'll want to mark August 5 on your calendar. This is because you'll want to devour this book as soon and as quickly as possible. RELATED: Book Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil This Is My Body is a meaningful and engaging horror novel. And following on the heels of the critically acclaimed The Z Word, her sophomore outing may just cement King-Miller as the heir to the American horror writer throne. The only question is: which horror subgenre will she tackle next? This Is My Body will be available at your local bookstore and/or public library beginning on August 5, 2025. Book Review: PETER MILES HAS TO DIE Avery Kaplan (she/her) is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. With her spouse Ollie Kaplan, Avery co-authored the middle school textbook on intersectionality Double Challenge: Being LGBTQ and a Minority. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 - 2024 Cartoonist Studio Prize Awards and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, the Gutter Review, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, in the Comics Courier and in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.
Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
I danced for Berlusconi then the devil possessed me for six years
She once leapt out of a birthday cake in a bikini for the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, was dragged into political scandal over his 'bunga-bunga' parties, and survived alcohol and drug addiction. But that was not the end of Ania Goledzinowska's turbulent story: she was also possessed by the devil, a leading exorcist has said. Goledzinowska built a career as a TV showgirl in Milan and dated Berlusconi's nephew before undergoing exorcism rituals, during which she is said to have insulted priests in a shrill man's voice, spoken in tongues, levitated and shown incredible physical strength. 'Ania was a classic case of demonic possession,' said Father Antonio Mattatelli, a Vatican-appointed exorcist, who said he helped Goledzinowska oust the devil. 'When we prayed she would go into a trance and laugh, mock, insult and try and seduce me before people would have to hold her down to stop her punching and biting me.'
