Lithuanian bishops express concern over rapid rise in occultism

Published: 2005-05-26

VILNIUS, Lithuania (CNS) -- Lithuanian bishops said they are concerned by a rapid growth in the occult. "We see two dimensions of this concern," Cardinal Audrys Backis of Vilnius said during a May 19 press conference. "First of all, the proliferation of occult practices undermines the basic values of society and the common sense of people; they are (also) incompatible with the Catholic faith," Cardinal Backis said. "Secondly, superstitions, magic and sorcery present a serious problem for society on the whole, as they ruin one's personal initiatives (and) self-confidence and undermine the bonds of solidarity," he said. In a pastoral letter, the Lithuanian bishops said using items like the horoscope practitioners of the occult can control a person like a marionette. "Participation in the rituals, organized by the shamans from Russia, pose an extremely serious threat to one's spiritual integrity," the letter said.

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