Paprocki says he’s not an extrovert, but he likes to sing solo from the pulpit, choosing contemporary numbers from such performers as Nickelback. During his installation ceremony in Springfield on June 22, 2010, he sang “Jesus Loves You” by former Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. He shouldn’t quit his day job, but he does not embarrass himself.
That’s not to say that Paprocki is a rockand-roll bishop. He wins high praise from parishioners such as Danny Faulkner, who is old enough to recall masses said in Latin and says that the Second Vatican Council, commonly called Vatican II, which convened in the 1960s and decreed changes aimed at modernizing the church, went too far.
While others raise eyebrows at some of Paprocki’s statements, Faulkner applauds.
“He comes right to the point of things,” Faulkner says. “I can tell the way he is. He’s very conservative, you know.”
Under Paprocki, parishioners have resumed reciting a prayer to St. Michael at the conclusion of Mass. The practice largely ended after Vatican II, but Faulkner said he never stopped reciting the prayer, albeit alone, in which worshippers ask the saint to cast into hell Satan and other evil spirits that roam the earth.
“When they stopped saying the St. Michael, everything went to hell in America,” Faulkner says.
Paprocki says that he didn’t order parishes to resume the prayer. He says he brought up the idea of praying to St. Michael during a series of welcoming masses shortly after his arrival in Springfield.
“If we’re going to overcome sin, we need his intercession,” Paprocki says. “I said, ‘There’s no reason why we can’t say that prayer.’” Using money from a donor, the diocese printed up 50,000 cards with the prayer printed on them and distributed them to parishes, with no mandate, Paprocki says.
“I simply said it was authorized,” Paprocki said. “When I first did that a year ago, I would invite people to take out the prayer card. What I’ve noticed now is, I don’t even have to ask them to take out the prayer card – they’ve got it memorized. … It’s touched a lot of hearts.”
Paprocki’s views on Satan drew attention from the New York Times and CNN last year, when he organized a conference on exorcism in Baltimore that attracted more than 100 bishops and priests. One goal was to ensure that someone in every American diocese could at least screen potential candidates for exorcism.
Headline writers had a field day: “Exorcist wanted. No experience necessary.” “Good news: Catholicism announces a new career option for Catholic men.” “Catholic exorcism conference turns heads (ahem).”
For Paprocki, the devil is no laughing matter. Pointing to polls that show most people believe in angels, Paprocki says the devil exists, and not as a metaphor.
“If you believe in angels, you really ought to believe in devils, because a devil is simply a fallen angel,” the bishop says. “Angels are intelligent beings created by God with free will, just like we are. The only difference is, we have bodies, they don’t. But they have the same possibility of a free will, and those that have exercised that free will in choosing against God are those that we call devils, or demons.”
St. Michael, Satan, exorcisms: Is Paprocki a throwback?
“To some extent, I guess we all are, especially bishops,” the bishop says. “A main role for a bishop is to be custodian of a tradition that goes back 2,000 years.”
