Exorcism is not Entertainment

I wish I could say that this will be some sort of evangelism opportunity, but the simple fact is the Church has never conducted exorcism for the titillation of a bunch of ghoulish rubberneckers. To be sure, some of Jesus’ exorcisms were done in public, but note that Jesus’ first command to the demon is typically “Be quiet!”

There is death in the camera. Its very presence screws up the dynamic of what is supposed to be taking place. People in the grip of possession or obsession are, among other things, often not terribly psychologically healthy (duh). Shoving a camera in their face and saying, “Millions are watching” (and such approval from the “human subject” must be obtained) is a sure fire way of radically skewing the interpersonal dynamic between the person and the one who is, in Christian understanding, there to liberate him, not to exploit him as a circus freak for the delectation of people who regard him as just one more piece of weird Jerry Springer trash to laugh at.

I hope that the bishop where this is being done will scotch this stupid idea.