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From the High Desert book cover

From the High Desert

A Cultural History of Art Bell

Thumbnail for May 4, 1998: Vatican Murders - Father Malachi Martin

May 4, 1998: Vatican Murders - Father Malachi Martin

May 4, 1998
2h 25m
0:00 / 0:00
Art Bell welcomes Father Malachi Martin to discuss the brutal murder of exorcist Father Alfred Kunz, found with his throat slashed in Wisconsin in what Martin identifies as a Satanist-inflicted killing. Martin reports a 750 percent increase in demonic possession cases since the early 1970s, including disturbing new patterns of young professionals making deliberate pacts with Satan and children as young as six showing signs of possession.

The conversation shifts to breaking news of a shocking triple death inside Vatican walls, where a Swiss Guard member apparently killed his commander and the commander's wife before turning the gun on himself. Martin connects the violence to a broader spiritual crisis under Pope John Paul II's papacy, describing the Pope as a tragic and isolated figure surrounded by hostility from his own entourage.

Martin discusses the Pope's controversial ecumenical outreach, including meetings with voodoo priests and Hindu rituals, suggesting these actions have drawn unwanted demonic attention to the Vatican. He addresses the signs of the Antichrist from scripture, the Vatican's growing interest in extraterrestrial life, and the possibility that profound upheaval awaits the Catholic Church in the years ahead.

Key Moments

  1. Father Alfred Kunz throat-slashed in his Wisconsin parish: Martin identifies the murdered exorcist as Father Alfred Kunz, parish priest in Dane, Wisconsin, found at 7 a.m. with his throat cut from ear to ear.

  2. Desecration markers point to Satanist ritual murder: Martin says Kunz was found in his own blood with acts of desecration normally associated with Satanist-inflicted death; police rule out random violence and suspect someone in his vicinity.

  3. 750 percent rise in demonic-assault cases since 1972-73: Martin reports that incidences and types of demonic assault tracked by his group in the northeast U.S. have increased about 750 percent since the early 1970s.

  4. Children as young as six showing signs of full possession: Martin describes a new pattern - children around six years old not merely obsessed but on their way to full possession - and links it to the Arkansas school shooting.