Exorcisms are on the rise because people are more open to sin, say priests who are struggling to keep up

• Father Vincent Lambert of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis says exorcisms are increasing
• Since 2005, the number of exorcists he knows has increased from 12 to 50
• He believes a rise in evil throughout society is to blame for the demonic surge
• Pornography and illegal drugs are some of the factors which led to it, he said  

Father Vincent Lambert (picture courtesy of Indianapolis Monthly) says exorcisms are increasing

The demand for exorcisms has skyrocketed across the country and priests are struggling to keep up with it. 

Father Vincent Lambert of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis says that the reason for the uprising is that people are becoming more susceptible to the devil.

'The problem isn’t that the devil has upped his game, but more people are willing to play it,' he told The National Catholic Register.  

Since he was appointed as the Archdiocese's exorcist in 2005, Father Lambert says the number of other exorcists has grown from 12 to 50.

He claims to have witnessed people who were possessed by the devil levitate, release hideous odors and speak in tongues and obscenities.

Father Lambert said a rise in pornography and drugs were somewhat to blame for the increase in demand.

Wavering faith in the Church may also be to blame because it creates a void for evil to seep in to, he said.To keep up with the multiplying requests, The Pope Leo XII Institute was founded in Milwaukee in 2012.

Father Lambert said he had witnessed subjects levitating, their eyes rolling back in their head and them speaking in obscenities while being exorcised. Above, the actress Ashley Bell in The Last Exorcism Part II 

Father Lambert has been the exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis sine 2005. His church, St. Malachy’s, is pictured above

The privately funded institute offers exorcism training to priests. It was opened in response to pleas from bishops that more exorcists were needed across the country

Priests believe a rise in evil in society including pornography and illegal drugs is to blame 

There are several types of exorcisms and not all bear the hallmarks of those depicted in horror films. 

Possession occurs when a person's body becomes inhabited and taken over by the devil. 

Infestation is the term given when an evil spirit tries to communicate by moving objects around or creating noises to make their presence known.

Vexation is used to describe the phenomenon of a person being physically attacked by a spirit. They may suffer bruises and cuts to the skin.

Obsession is an attack on the mind - the person afflicted may have persistently evil thoughts. All can warrant exorcism, Father Lampert explained.