Pro-Life Group Plans Exorcism Prayer in Front of Ohio Clinic
'Exorcism of Locality' Seeks to Rid a Place of Evil, Group Says
The chancellor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati recently gave his approval to religious groups seeking to conduct an exorcism prayer in front of an Ohio abortion clinic as a form of pro-life protest.
The protest is a part of the "40 Days For Life" campaign, and will take place this Sunday, March 18 in front of Women's Med Center, located in Kettering, Ohio. The Women's Med Center is Miami Valley's only abortion clinic.
Although the clinic will be closed during the protest, as it is closed every Sunday, those in attendance are hoping to perform an "exorcism of locality," which seeks to rid a place of evil, rather than a person, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Protesters will read the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. The prayer, written by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, calls on St. Michael to "defend us in the conflict which we have to sustain against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places," which references Ephesians 6:12 in the Bible.
Ruth Deddens, organizer of the "40 Days For Life Campaign," received permission from the Rev. Steve J. Angi, Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, to perform the exorcism at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Deddens told the Dayton Daily News that she is hoping "the spiritual battle will be won." All religious groups are invited to attend the protest.
Abortion and birth control have been hot topics in the political sphere recently, having a strong influence on the direction of the 2012 GOP presidential race.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Deddens is also organizing a protest in front of the Dayton Federal Building for March 23 to protest the birth control mandate, guided by President Barack Obama's administration as a part of the health care plan "Obamacare."
The mandate forces employers of religious institutions and schools to provide insurance coverage for birth control to their employers and employees. Many argue that the mandate is an infringement on religious freedom, as promised by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The "40 Days For Life" pro-life campaign continues through April 1 in 258 locations across the U.S., according to the campaign's official website. The campaign encourages prayer and fasting in the fight to end abortion.
According to The Washington Post, in mid-March the British Pregnancy Advisory Service complained that the "40 Days For Life" London campaign was intimidating abortion clinics located in central London by filming patients and employees exiting and entering the clinic.
The campaign fought back, arguing that it was carrying out a peaceful Christian prayer vigil in front of the clinics.
