Over the Thanksgiving break, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi requested the assistance from the Catholic Church to exorcize the evil left from last year’s attack on her husband, Paul.

Last October, David DePape, a 42-year-old Canadian who was in the country illegally, broke into Pelosi’s three-story townhouse in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco shouting “Where’s Nancy?” He intended to kidnap the former speaker. Instead, he violently attacked her 82-year-old husband with a hammer. Mr. Pelosi’s injuries were critical. He has since recovered. DePape has been charged with 6 felonies.

Speaker Pelosi reportedly felt great guilt over the attack. She was distressed and sought help from her church.

Pelosi is a devout Catholic. The Catholic Church performs thousands of similar rituals annually. According to Father Vincent Lampert, designated exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, he receives thousands of requests at his location every year. The rite consists of various prayers, rituals, and recitations from the Bible. Sometimes the ritual must be repeated.

Father Arturo Albano, St. Vincent de Paul Church, stated his church did not participate.

An exorcism makes sense. She may have had the home re-blessed, foregoing the longer ritual. Whatever course of action, Speaker Pelosi felt the need to re-consecrate her home and protect from any evil that may have been brought in by DePape or attracted to the home from the assault.

A home blessing is common. Clergy can perform the blessing; however, there are online instructions for people to perform themselves. I would caution anyone who undertakes this. Know what you’re doing. All you need is holy water and exorcized salt with a prayer to your God.