The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist (25 page)

Father Vince had a similar impression. As regards to the attendees praying prayers of deliverance over one another, he objected to the notion that it was necessary, explaining that since he thought demonic possession was uncommon he didn't think it required that everyone be delivered of evil spirits. It also turned him off that some of the participants seemed too eager to become exorcists. One priest boasted that he exorcised his rectory at least once a month, including his telephone, because he was concerned that people on the other end of the line might be possessed. Father Vince found this to be a clear example of the American tendency to gravitate toward the extreme.

Overall, Father Gary appreciated the conference and its efforts to train exorcists as had the course in Rome. He thought the organizers might have gotten more interest if they had held it at a Catholic site (it would be the following year) so that more bishops would attend. More than anything, he envisioned a course sanctioned by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, which would help legitimize the rite of exorcism, something that he felt was desperately needed.

A
FTER HE RETURNED FROM THE CONFERENCE
, Father Gary prayed over Stephanie again while Chris was present. Wondering if they were getting anywhere, he asked if she really wanted these spirits to leave. When she answered yes, he reminded her that she was going to have to become more proactive and start praying every day. “You can't just rely on me to do all this for you.”

As the sessions progressed, however, Chris and Stephanie became more exasperated. Why weren't these prayers “curing” Stephanie the way Chris's numerous books described? While she did report some improvement, Father Gary's exorcisms didn't seem any more effective than what she had experienced when Chris prayed over her.

Feeling that her improvement wasn't happening fast enough, the couple decided to try another exorcist. Father Gary gave them the name of an exorcist in a nearby diocese and wished them well. He still wondered if he had missed something, or hadn't done it right. He still questioned whether the prayers of the
Ritual
would work for him. Despite the fact that Stephanie said she
felt
better, it was hard to gauge. Even in the milder cases that Father Carmine saw, Father Gary detected at least some external reaction to the prayer.

When the couple returned a month later saying that they weren't happy with the other exorcist either, Father Gary knew there was more to the story. It wasn't just him. In fact, he was beginning to feel ambivalent about their case. Knowing from his experiences with Father Carmine that people can get addicted to exorcism, as if it were a kind of “identity” he told them he'd be willing to see them again but they would have to shift gears and slow down. Disappointed, the couple had no choice but to agree.

O
VER THE COURSE OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR
, Father Gary saw more people, some from as far away as Oregon. A woman in her fifties said that demons were around her all the time; a Filipino man thought that his brother-in-law had put a curse on him; and another man claimed to be haunted by the ghost of a dead relative. A few times he needed Father Kevin to translate for Spanish-speaking victims, and on one occasion another priest helped out when he saw an older woman who spoke only Vietnamese.

In a few of these cases he prayed the
Ritual
, but in the vast majority he simply prayed prayers of deliverance or offered a blessing if he suspected the cause was not demonic. Sometimes, when people wouldn't take no for an answer, he prayed a simple blessing over them while cautioning them to seek help through therapy.

Father Gary would also bless houses. One family in San Jose claimed to have witnessed various odd phenomena, including a ghostly apparition that would sometimes appear at the foot of the children's bed and a room that always seemed to be filled with an icy chill. Despite blessing every room in the house, Father Gary failed to uncover any curses or infestations that would explain the activities.

The fact that so many people were seeking him out came as a big surprise. Even after witnessing so many exorcisms in Rome, he still thought his services would rarely be called upon in America. And because he had been so busy, there'd been little opportunity to carry out some of the ideas he'd formulated in Rome. For instance, he had yet to meet with the youth ministers in the parish and talk to them about the dangers of the occult. However, he had been able to open up a little chapel off the parish offices for daily Eucharistic adoration.

In January 2007, Father Gary e-mailed Father Carmine to let him know how things had been progressing since his return from Rome, mentioning some of the cases he'd seen and his hope that the ministry of exorcism would soon be seen in a more credible light. Having forgotten most of his Italian, he wrote the message in English.

A few weeks later, Father Carmine responded to his e-mail in Italian, delighted to have heard from his former protege. He was even happier that Father Gary had written in English, saying that it would give him a much-needed opportunity to practice his language skills, a favor he hoped to reciprocate by responding in Italian.

In closing his e-mail, Father Gary had asked the Capuchin how things were in Rome. Was he still seeing lots of people? Father Carmine had responded by saying that the situation was as bad as ever. In some cases, he was getting people sent to him from other countries in Europe. One woman had sought him out from Germany, where there were no exorcists, he said. “You know how tragic the situation is as far as that goes. I believe that we have to pray a lot for the theologians and bishops that they teach a doctrine that is truly and completely Catholic instead of one which is easier and more accommodating. All of humanity suffers because of a doctrine that is incomplete and unbalanced. But we put our faith in the hands of the Madonna. I praise God that there is a priest like you who can help a lot of poor and suffering people. Be simple and strong! And pray for me, because I need it… We will remain united in our prayers.”

S
EVERAL MONTHS
after receiving Father Carmine's e-mail, Father Kevin got in touch with Father Gary about a case he thought he should investigate. The parents of a young Central American woman, Maria, who lived in a nearby diocese, had reached out to him, hoping that their daughter could receive an exorcism. A week later, Father Gary found time during a busy afternoon to sit down with the three.

The sullen and downtrodden appearance of Maria, a twenty-seven-year-old originally from Honduras, immediately alerted him that something might be amiss. The defeated look the parents gave him reminded him of what he'd seen in people accompanying victims whom Father Carmine had prayed over in Rome.

As in the past, he started by asking Maria to tell him her story.

Ever since the age of seventeen, she said, she had been hearing voices and seeing demons, which would always tell her, “You belong to us.” Worried, her parents had taken her to see a witch doctor while they were living in Honduras. When he'd performed a ritualistic exorcism, Maria had entered into a trance and flopped around on the ground. After that, the problem seemed to abate for a time. However, recently it had come back again.

Father Gary continued to probe, noting that Maria had no history of drug abuse; and as far as he could surmise, she appeared sane. According to her parents, the witch doctor had told them that the troubles were most likely related to a curse.

Intrigued, Father Gary told the three that while he was willing to help, the best course of action would be for Maria to get a psychiatric evaluation. In the meantime, however, he told them he would be happy to pray a simple blessing over her. (Remembering his training, he also suspected such a blessing might help unmask a demon if there was one.)

Without much fanfare, Father Gary picked up a three-ringed binder that contained some prayers that he had photocopied from various books and downloaded from the Internet. The prayers he liked most were printed in the back of Father Amorth's book,
An Exorcist Tells His Story.
Selecting one of these (originally from the Greek
Ritual)
, he extended his hand toward Maria, intoning:
“Kyrie eleison
, God, our Lord, King of ages, All-powerful and All-mighty, you who made everything and who transform everything simply by your will. You who in Babylon changed into dew the flames of the ‘seven-times hotter’ furnace and protected and saved the three holy children. You are the doctor and the physician of our soul. You are the salvation of those who turn to you.”

Almost immediately Maria's body began to twitch, her legs rocking back and forth. As he noticed this, Father Gary tried not to betray what he was thinking: Here was his confirmation.

“We beseech you to make powerless, banish, and drive out every diabolic power, presence, and machination; every evil influence, malefice, or evil eye, and all evil actions aimed against your servant Maria. Where there is envy and malice, give us an abundance of goodness, endurance, victory, and charity. O Lord, you who love mankind, we beg you to reach out your powerful hands and your most high and mighty arms and come to our aid. Help us, who are made in your image; send the angel of peace over us, to protect us body and soul,” he prayed.

Maria suddenly screamed. She began thrashing violently on the couch. Then, much to Father Gary's amazement, her facial muscles tensed in such a way that her appearance completely changed, and she took on the visage of an adder. Even her mannerisms seemed to become snakelike. Her eyes, which had become dead black discs, bored into him while her tongue shot in and out like a snake's.

As he beheld this transformation, his heart pounded in his chest.
This is really happening
, he thought. He wasn't hallucinating. He threw some holy water onto Maria and she lunged at him, but was grabbed at the last minute by her parents, who were sitting on either side of her. Deep hatred poured out at him through her black eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that if he had been alone with her, she would have long since attacked him. He was no longer a spectator; it was up to him to see this through to the end.

“May God keep at bay and vanquish every evil power, every poison or malice invoked against us by corrupt and envious people. Then, under the protection of your authority may we sing, in gratitude, ‘The Lord is my salvation; whom should I fear?’“

She kicked and strained, trying to break free.

The struggle continued for a few more minutes, until he decided that it was probably better if he didn't push things too much at this early stage. She needed a solemn exorcism, not a simple blessing. It would also allow him a chance to prepare more. For now it was enough to know that the prayers had generated a strong reaction.

Once the blessing was finished, Maria immediately calmed down and her face returned to normal. As she slumped down on the couch to catch her breath, Father Gary left to get a host, thinking that perhaps communion would do her good. When he reentered the room with the Eucharist, however, she nearly jumped out the window, and probably would have if it hadn't been for her parents once again wrestling her back down onto the couch. When she had recovered sufficiently, Father Gary finally gave her the consecrated host, though even as she received it, she was unable to swallow it. Worrying that the demon might be coming back, Father Gary quickly unscrewed the cap from his holy water bottle and handed it to her, saying, “Here, wash it down with this.” Finally, the host went down.