Friday, February 25, 2011

Movie "The Rite" and its connection to Legionaries college in Rome

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In 2004, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith requested that all Catholic dioceses appoint an official exorcist. Coincidentally, the Regina Apostolorum College, run by the Legionaries of Christ, opened a course for the training of exorcists that year.

“Regina Apostolorum,” was erected by the Congregation for Catholic Education on September 15, 1993. On July 11, 1998, John Paul II granted status of a Pontifical University and on September 3, 2004 it received the final decree of canonical status.

The movie "The Rite" is based on a book by an AP reporter named Matt Baglio, a non-practicing Catholic. Always on the  look out for a good story, the reporter enrolled himself in the four-month course at the Legionaries college entitled, “Exorcism and the Prayer of Liberation.” He wondered, “What kind of priest takes a course in exorcism?” “Are there any priests out there who still believe in the existence of the devil?”

One of his classmates was Fr Gary Thomas, a parish priest from San Jose California. Fr. Thomas was 50 years old at the time. The story of his real life experience as an "exorcist-in-training" is loosely followed in the movie. Fr. Thomas has praised the film for its "positive portrayal of the Church" and for its "witness to the power of faith." The movie, features Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and newcomer Irishman Colin O’Donoghue. Hopkins is a professed Christian, and O'Donoghue is a practicing Catholic who serves as a lector at his parish in Dublin.

Fr. Thomas also said that the intensely creepy trailers for the film are “deceptive” in the sense that they make it look like a “horror movie,” which he says is inaccurate.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jack
Don't presume you are not welcomeon larc. After reading your book I have a better understanding of where you are coming from.
Ohh

The Monk said...

Thanks Ohh...

The Gregorbo comments were uncalled for, offensive and, to me, indicative of a belligerant, and maybe a troubled person. However it seems I am the only one who (finally!) took offense - the silence about his offensive remarks was quite deafening from the rest of the "community" on that blog. Consider what the reaction might have been had I made those remarks about him!

Inasmuch as I want to support (at least mentally) the Vatican's effort to reform the LC, I have concluded that LaRC is not a welcoming place for those seeking to understand why the Vatican has not closed the LC down. There really is no tolerance, overall, for anyone with an alternative to the hard-line editorial perspective. In sum, too much negative energy for me!

Glad you read the book! Thanks again for leaving the comment.

Anonymous said...

Please, Could somebody tell me if all Catholic Dioceses worldwide are supposed to have an official exorcist or only in some parts of the world?