Papua New Guinea: Pope’s Statement Calling for Compassionate Treatment of Alleged Witches Not Enough, by Leo Igwe

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes the condemnation by Pope Francis of sorcery-related violence in Papua New Guinea. During his visit to the country, Francis drew attention to the cases of women who were accused of sorcery and subsequently attacked, abused, and shunned by families. Papua New Guinea is one of the places in the world where witch-hunting persists. Alleged witches or sorcerers have been attacked, or killed, as was the case in early modern Europe. The pope urged the church in Papua New Guinea to treat victims with care and compassion. This statement is encouraging and sends some right signals. But it is not enough because the catholic church in Papua New Guinea and other places like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, etc is a part of the problem.

Although witch-hunting predates the introduction of the catholic faith to these regions, the teachings and practices of the catholic church have reinforced witchcraft accusations and witch-hunting. The pope’s statement would have had enormous weight and significance if Francis had used this opportunity to apologize for the role of the catholic in witch-hunting in early modern Europe and the contemporary world. Many Catholic churches and priests are at the forefront of accusation, demonization, and persecution of supposed witches in many places across the globe. The pope does not only represent the church in the West. Francis is the head and leader of catholic churches and priests, including those in Africa, Oceania and other places where witch persecution rages.

The pope should have used the opportunity to urge catholic priests and the population against teachings in the Bible that sanction the persecution of alleged witches, like Exodus 22: 18. This verse, which states: “Suffer not a witch to live”, permits Catholics and other Christians to torture and murder suspected witches with impunity. Francis should have faulted other scriptural provisions that sanctify fights against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12) because these provisions make the catholic church a legitimizer of witch hunts.

More importantly, the pope should have used the opportunity to announce the abolition of the catholic church’s exorcism ministry and an end to demon hunts in churches. The catholic church teaches that demons exist. Catholics believe that the devil can possess humans. Many catholic dioceses have an office of exorcist. And many catholic priests carry out exorcism as a part of their ministry and everyday activity.

Priests engage in demon hunts, the expulsion of the devil, and the deliverance of those believed to be possessed by demons. Witch hunt is a form of demon hunt, and demon hunt is a form of witch hunt.

Pope Francis’ statement calling for care and compassionate treatment of suspected witches amounts to nothing if the catholic church continues to reinforce witchcraft and other occult beliefs. The Catholic church will not be a force for good in this case or a part of the solution; it cannot treat suspected witches with ‘closeness, compassion and tenderness’ as the pope directed if the church continues to enable demon hunts in Papua New Guinea and other places across the globe.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches and wrote his doctoral thesis on witchcraft accusations in Northern Ghana.