This Week’s Column at Patheos

This Friday sees the release of The Rite, a new movie dealing with exorcism. This week’s column at Patheos treats an exorcism case in 1928 Iowa, the first one in America of which  there was public knowledge. I’d like to make a few points about the article:

1. The story was released as a book in 1936 with official Church approval. The Catholic Church is VERY slow to acknowledge possession without ruling out all other possibilities, psychological or physical. For the book to receive approval, I think, was a big thing.
2. I’m not saying this was the FIRST exorcism ever performed in America, but it WAS definitely the first one to be made public knowledge. 
3. I emphasize that it received OFFICIAL Church approval: the priest performing it wasn’t a lunatic on the fringe, he was a highly respected priest authorized by Church leadership to exercise this difficult ministry.

Ultimately, my goal hasn’t been to scare people, but to present this as a story of hope triumphing over great odds. Hopefully, it’ll encourage us not to look for the devil behind every corner, but to look at each other and be a little kinder in a spirit of Christian Charity. Only readers can decide if I’ve succeeded.

For the article please click here.