Exorcists now have a legal weapon to liberate the faithful from demons - the official backing of the Catholic Church.

The International Association of Exorcists were formally recognized by the Vatican this week, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano reported, leading to speculations that the Catholic Church approves of the controversial practice of exorcism, the ceremonial process of releasing demons from those possessed by them.

The group, consisting of 250 priests from 30 countries, was approved by the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy under canon law, with the organization's statutes recognized, L'Osservatore Romano reported Tuesday. The practice was brought to the attention of the non-Catholic world in 1973 through the film "The Exorcist."

Pope Francis, who is known more than his predecessors to speak frequently about the devil, was witnessed placing his hands last year on the head of a man purportedly possessed by four demons in what exorcists said was a prayer of liberation from Satan, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, Rev. Francesco Bamonte, the head of the associated, claimed that the Vatican's approval of his group was cause for joy. "Exorcism is a form of charity that benefits those who suffer," he told the official Vatican newspaper Wednesday. "The approval by the Holy See is a joy not only for our association but for the church as a whole. We hope more priests will realize the existence of this dramatic reality, which is often ignored or underestimated. Exorcism benefits people who are suffering, and is doubtless a work of bodily and spiritual mercy."

Founded in 1990 by six priests, the group is restricted to Roman Catholic priests and includes Father Gabriele Amorth, known as the "Exorcist of Rome," who claims to have performed 160,000 exorcisms, UPI reported. Its procedure requires a priest's consent from his bishop, and examinations by medical specialists to determine if a victim's medical or psychological issues can be treated by non-religious means.

The Church issued a revised guide to exorcism in 1999.