Construction begins in the Philippines on Asia’s first exorcism center

MANILA, Philippines – The Archdiocese of Manila has begun construction of Asia’s first-ever exorcism center to cater to what it says are a growing number of possessions in the Philippines and to train aspiring exorcists in the region.

Construction work on the St. Michael’s Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism began June 6 in the capital’s Makati business district, ucanews.com reported.


“This religious structure will be the first of its kind in Asia, if not the world. The center will house the Archdiocese of Manila’s Commission on Extraordinary Phenomena, the Exorcism Ministry Office, the Visions and Phenomena Ministry Office, and serve as the headquarters of the Philippine Association of Catholic Exorcists (PACE) the archdiocese said in a statement. Facebook post.

PACE is a group of Catholic exorcist priests that falls under the Philippine Catholic Bishops’ Conference and is affiliated with the Rome-based International Association of Exorcists.

Father José Francisco Syquia, chief exorcist of the archdiocese, leads the project.

“This center will take care of those who are slaves of the devil, who are therefore the poorest of the poor and are generally neglected,” he said.

Syquia said an increasing number of cases of demonic possession led the archdiocese to undertake the project.

“We’ve had a big increase in cases over the past three to five years,” Syquia wrote in a 2021 post without giving an estimated figure.

The center will include a chapel dedicated to Mary, named Our Lady of the Angels.

Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila and Father Syquia led the center’s inauguration ceremony in May.

Church officials said they hope the center will attract priests from across Asia to study and train in the profession of exorcism.

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