Sunday, October 30, 2011

Rites of an Exorcist



In the spirit of the season, I decided to watch the movie The Rite. Anyone who knows me, knows how much demon possession terrifies me. I’d face Mike Myers before stepping anywhere close to the possessed.
Do I believe in true possession? I don’t know. But like beauty, its existence is in the eye of the beholder.  

The movie is about an American seminary student who lacks faith and wishes to abdicate his vows. His teacher doesn’t want to let him go so easily and convinces him to travel to Italy to take an exorcism course where he meets Father Lucas who is a practicing exorcist in Rome.  
It had a good story with real internal conflict, which reflected some of my own issues. Then at the end during the credits I read this”
Based on true events.


Super creeped out now, I had to research this so I could sleep at night.  This is what I found in Wikipedia:
The film is based on the book The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Rome-based Matt Baglio, which was published in 2009. To research the book, Baglio participated in a seminar on exorcism by the Vatican-sponsored Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum where he met Father Gary Thomas, a parish priest from Saratoga, California, who was tasked by the local bishop in San Jose, California to become an exorcist for the diocese.  Initially skeptical and reluctant, Father Gary becomes an "apprentice" to a Rome-based exorcist and his skepticism is soon replaced by the cold reality of evil and the ways it sometimes takes the form of demonic possession. The book traces Father Gary's life prior to and subsequent to their acquaintance in 2005 which involved Baglio observing over twenty exorcisms performed by Father Gary. Baglio indicates that the experience in writing the book "was just a very spiritual process and in a lot of ways, it helped me reconnect to the Church and understand the value of faith. This isn’t something that is silly and prayer, it’s very important."
Twenty?
That’s twenty too many for me.
I am aware that some consider possession a psychiatric condition and this movie covers this topic as well.  Exorcisms still take place and the Vatican still trains Soldiers of God.  
But sometimes ignorance it is bliss and I wish I didn't have this knowledge. At least, that’s my opinion.

Sometimes a woman just needs to root for the underdog.

Omegas in Love book 4 coming in spring.

Annie Nicholas

I will choose a commenter on my post to win any ebook from my backlist!

18 comments:

*yadkny* said...

WOW... now that's scary! I have a love/hate relationship with movies that are based on either loosely or solely on truth and I agree sometimes ignorance is bliss.

yadkny@hotmail.com

elaing8 said...

I have not heard about this movie. Creepy.Great post.
elaing8[at]netscape[dot]net

Pretty Eyes said...

That is a scary job!! I am glad I don't have to do it. Happy Halloween!

prettyeyes(at)gmail(dot)com

The Brunette Librarian said...

So I was reading this and couldn't help but feel creepy. I don't know if I believe in demonic posession...but in college, I took a class called "World Religions." My professor was a preacher and he talked at length about performing three exorcisms in his life. Not something I've witnessed but I wouldn't be surprised if it existed.

rachie2004 AT yah00 *d8t* c-m

Lyric James said...

Wowza! That is creepy. I don't do scary movies...at all. I did when I was a young dumb teenager...but you couldn't pay me to go see one now.

And I lurve those covers. Great post!

msmjb65 said...

OK. Blogger just ate my post, so I'll try again. I can deal with lots of things, horror flicks? Aint' one of them! However, I wouldn't mind one of the gents from the yummy book covers!
MJB
msmjb65 AT gmail DOT com

Kristi kaiser said...

I hate scary movies! Now the vanguard series sounds right up my ally!!

Shonna said...

WOW! I now have the chills!

Shonna said...

Enjoyed reading your post

Jennifer Mathis said...

I havent seen this movie . Putting it on my netflix list now

meandi09@Yahoo.com

mnjcarter said...

Never even heard of this! Sounds kinda sick and completely creepy!!

mnjcarter@charter.net

Annie Nicholas said...

Glad I'm not only one who is got the chills. LOL

Arianne said...

Soldiers of God sounds cool. If there was a story written about that minus the religious aspect, I'd probably be interested in reading it ;)
email: cruz042 at csusm dot edu

heather said...

Awesome. Never heard of it but I love watching movies that make me jump. I know, I know, I'm weird but it's fun to get scared every once in a while :) Thanks for sharing, Annie!
chamblinh@gmail.com

Eva's Flowers said...

I try to stay away from these type of movies, they just creep me out, but reading it is a different matter, even though when I read I see the way things progress in my head, I guess it's just that the movie makes it somewhat realistic??

Eva
evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com

June M. said...

How have I not seen this movie? I love a good scary movie but have somehow missed this one. I am definitely gonna have to get this one. Thanks so much for sharing!
June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

Shonna said...

Love the YUMMY covers too.

Anonymous said...

I like to be creeped out.

I think zombies and monsters and ghosts and skulls are cute. Halloween is my favorite time of year because I get to let my silly dark side show.

But possession---that really bothers me. I believe in the soul and I believe evil exists and I'm terrified that we as fragile humans are vulnerable to it.

Great post.