Is the Charlie Charlie Challenge the new Slender Man craze?
The Charlie Charlie Challenge has inspired millions of kids to explore satanic rituals by using a sheet of paper divided into quarters to mimic a Ouija board.
Kids are sharing videos with #CharlieCharlie, challenging each other to call upon an evil spirit from Mexico, according to the Daily Mail.
Now, after millions of shares, the Catholic Church is responding and priests are warning children about the dangers of "playing with demons."
The game involves balancing one pencil on top of another and daring a demon named Charlie to answer questions by making it point to pre-written answers on the paper below.
Kids write "Yes" in two corners and "No" in the remaining squares.
Teens from all over the world - U.K., United States, Sweden and Singapore - have uploaded videos in which they ask, "Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" and then flee in terror when the pencil appears to move by itself, the Daily Mail reported.
The videos consist of a lot of screaming, which is considered to be thrilling and enticing for viewers, making them want to play the game, according to ABC 13.
Ten-year-old Mariana Cruz, a 5th grader in Fresno, said Charlie is being talked about at her school.
"You have to try to balance the pencils and you ask Charlie questions," Cruz said.
"I've seen it on Facebook," said Mariana's mother, Monica Cruz. "And yes, I think it's a very bad thing. I would never try it and I should hope that my kids would never try it."
Four Colombian high school students were brought to the emergency room two weeks ago and were "screaming and babbling" after playing the game.
There was nothing physically wrong with them. Instead, doctors diagnosed a case of "mass hysteria."
"You're asking children to pray to a demon, for a demon to give you directions," said Tim Rolen, senior pastor at New Hope Community Church in Clovis. "That could be pretty damaging and pretty powerful in certain situations."
The Diocese of Fresno issued the following statement regarding the Charlie Challenge:
The concerns regarding the social media game "Charlie Charlie" have been brought to the attention of some pastors and lay leaders in the Diocese of Fresno. Designated Pastoral Center staff are currently in dialogue to discern an appropriate response and resources to help guide parents, youth, and all individuals who have already engaged in this activity or are tempted to do so. The Diocese of Fresno echoes the concerns expressed in the Catholic News Service article dated May 27, 2015 regarding this issue.
