The diocese of Milan, the biggest in the world, had installed an exorcism hotline to cope with demand, reports The Independent, with a reported 100 per cent rise in the number of requests for help during the past 15 years.
"That has to tell us something," said Father Truqui.
What does it tell us?
Is it coincidence that a surge in demand for exorcism happened at the same time as the world devoured the Harry Potter series and women everywhere started doing sun salutations and downward dogs in the morning?
On the one hand, it seems crazy that there can be something wrong with doing yoga, but I wish I had never read this article because, being a good Catholic girl, I am terrified.
I'm terrified of anything with the word "devil". So much so that when I was sent a bottle of Jim Beam Devil's Cut I didn't want to put it in my work cupboard so gave it to a colleague.
And when we moved to Tauranga and bought our first home here, I phoned up the parish priest and asked him if he would do a blessing of the house.
It is an Irish Catholic tradition, but this trend may not have reached Tauranga because he had not had any requests before.
My partner was dubious. "Is it like an exorcism?" he asked.
The priest was game, and duly came round and walked with us around the house blessing each room. He did it with some humour, in parts seemingly making it up as he went along. When we entered the laundry, he said, "God bless all the washing and those who do it" and I am sure I saw the glimmer of a smile.
The kids were a little disappointed there were no ghosts to bust although, at the end, when the priest suggested we all sing a song in the lounge, my partner adopted a look of terror as though he had just seen a head spinning around 360 degrees.
But Harry Potter satanic? I am not a fan but view it as literature. Fiction that enriches rather than poisons children's minds. Harry is not the first literary character to come under fire. Last year, Pooh Bear was ruled out from being an emblem in a children's playground in Poland because councillors commented on his "dubious sexuality", his lack of underpants with one even calling Pooh a "hermaphrodite". Some schools in England banned Pooh stories deeming the Piglet character offensive to Muslims. A Muslim group subsequently asked for the ban to be lifted.
In America's deep south, Pooh has also come under fire along with Alice in Wonderland and Charlotte's Web with the anthropomorphic animals deemed insulting to God.
There is more evil in the world to worry about than children's literature or Twilight movies.
And I am not keen on rolling my yoga mat up for good either. While I agree all exercise is evil, yoga is the only physical activity I find tolerable.
I have never read Harry Potter so maybe I can cash in brownie points for not being a fan of wizards or vampires and still be able to do my yoga.
• Annemarie Quill is a journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times.
