The Rite Stuff

Hollywood Theology
That new movie on exorcism, The Rite, offers a dramatic look at the role of exorcism in Catholicism.

If nothing else, entertainment culture raises a conversation within the Church that has long been sidelined as the force of secularization attempts to domesticate the supernatural.

The real life basis for the movie is also intriguing.

Resurfaced?
Exorcism showed up on the Catholic radar abruptly in 1999 when the Vatican released a revised Rite of Exorcism.

Again, last November our U.S. Bishops had several sessions on the role of exorcism in Catholic belief and practice. The interest represents, it seems, a desire to reclaim the distinctiveness of faith in our desacralized culture.

This is Our Faith
One simple insight: our catechesis must be willing to engage in this dimension of faith, especially as our entertainment culture is filled with a (morbid?) fascination with the battle of good and evil; seen and unseen. e.g. remember last year's release on 1/22/10?

Scripture, our spiritual Tradition, the Catechism, JP2, and innumerable other sources of our Faith speak vividly of this reality.

Plenty of distortions out there, too.

One of my favorite dramatizations of the interplay of humanity and the fallen angels is C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Entertaining and extremely insightful.

Leonine Courage
And then there is the ever-popular Pope Leo XIII's prayer to St. Michael, here in its extended form.

Heavy stuff.