Earlier this month, I giggled through Season of the Witch, about the medieval Church’s exorcism of demons from an accused witch. Season of the Witch was set in the 13th century.
The new film The Rite is based on a book about Father Gary, who is the Diocese of San Jose’s official exorcist. Now. In 2011.
Helpfully, the Diocese has published FAQs about its modern-day exorcism. The FAQs include this statement:
“The Catholic Church maintains that demons are real and very rarely can inhabit the physical bodies of human beings, and to this day practices a rite of exorcism to make them leave. While it may take months or even years of exorcisms to free a person from a demonic presence, the Church’s solemn ritual of exorcism can be a formidable weapon against such evil.”
There is no word from the Diocese as to any Official Inquisitor.