"In the News" - 4/20/23

Father Bill Wehry recently watched the movie "The Pope's Exorcist" and shared his thoughts on it. The film is based on the life of Father Gabriel Amort, who was the exorcist for the diocese of Rome and performed thousands of exorcisms. While Father Bill thought the movie was good, the International Association of Exorcists denounced it for its exaggeration and fictional incidents. Father Gabriel Amort himself enjoyed the movie "The Exorcist," which is similar to this one. The organization felt that the movie did not convey the joy of exorcism, which they believe is a joyful experience because it frees the victim from possession. Despite the dark and gruesome nature of the film, Father Bill still recommends it for Catholics to watch. The conversation then shifts to the topic of exorcisms and how they are now being taught in seminaries. The average priest needs to be delegated by the bishop to perform a full-scale exorcism. Lay people can Welcome to In the News Show. I'm your host, Judy Desigatis, and I'm here with my co-host, Father Bill Wehry. How are you today? Very good. Happy Easter season, Judy, and everybody. Yes, happy Easter season, everybody. Thank you, Joe Nabustinsky, for our technical assistance today, and David Hilowitz for our theme music. And as we talked about, we are in the Easter season, but Father has seen a brand new movie that was out. The last time we talked on our show, we talked about a couple of movies that were coming out. One is with Shia LaBeouf about Padre Pio that's coming out in June, but we also talked about Russell Crowe starring in The Pope's Exorcist. And, Father, I heard that you saw this movie. If you could share with us what your thoughts were. What did you think of it? Was it worth seeing? I saw it Friday, this past Friday evening, the first day that it was in theaters around the United States, and it did hit Lewistown, where I am. And, yes, I thought it was a good movie about a true figure who died a few years ago, Father Gabriel Amort, who was, in fact, The Pope's Exorcist, the exorcist for the diocese of Rome. And he did many, many thousands of exorcisms. He died in 2016 at age 91. Russell Crowe plays him in the movie, and it was pretty much predictable. I mean, it's a horror film, no doubt about it, and it is exaggerated. It's Hollywood, and the incidents and the events displayed therein, especially centering around a possessed little boy who has a very fearsome aspect in the movie, similar to the actress Linda Blair in the first Exorcist movie, The Exorcist, some years ago. But a lot of those incidents are fictional, and it is exaggerated. But I thought it was a good movie. I have to tell you that the International Association of Exorcists, founded in 1990 by Father Gabriel Amort, has denounced the movie. Really? Yeah. They don't like it, and I don't know if I'm with them on that. I don't really understand it. Again, they were referring to the exaggeration and that, I quote, As was the case in other films, everything is exaggerated with striking manifestations on the physical and verbal level typical of horror. And it goes on, I'm quoting the organization, Besides being contrary to historical reality, it distorts and falsifies what is truly lived and experienced during the exorcism of the truly possessed, unquote. I really don't understand that, because I know that Father Gabriel Amort, his favorite movie was The Exorcist. Oh, really? Yeah. He really liked that movie, which is very similar to this one that we're talking about. And the IAE, the Organization of Exorcists, said, This is interesting, in one of the statements they said, Exorcism is actually a joyful experience. That's a little counterintuitive, doesn't it? It's actually a joyful experience because God prevails, at least they hope, that's what they pray, in an exorcism, and the person, the victim, is freed. And the organization didn't feel that the movie conveyed that joy. It's a very grim, dark, gothic, if you want to say that, movie, no doubt about it. But I thought Russell Crowe, as Gabriel Amort, cut a really fine figure, and he's an imposing individual. The real Father Gabriel Amort, I saw some videos of the real guy, actually doing a video online doing an exorcism, and he looks, Gabriel Amort, looks nothing like Russell Crowe. The real Gabriel Amort was clean-shaven for one thing, and that's a small thing, and Russell Crowe is bearded, and I think a smaller, slighter stature, not as bulky as Russell Crowe. But anyway, I thought it was a good movie, I thought it was all right. It's predictable, as I said, I use that word, you can brace yourself. It's not for the faint of heart, and there are people, even adults, who just don't like to watch that stuff, so then don't go. But he stated, Gabriel Amort stated in 2013 that he had driven out 160,000 demons during his career. He was appointed chief exorcist of the Diocese of Rome in 1985. So, in any case, there you have it. The trailer, I saw the trailer first, of course, only a few minutes long, and that's pretty fearsome, focusing in on the child. So, I think, you know, with Padre Pio, with the Padre Pio movie coming out in June, and this, I think it could be an affirming thing for the Catholic faith. So, even the fact that it is gruesome, because I'm sure that a real exorcism is like that, do you think that this is, overall, if you had to make a conclusion, would you suggest this for Catholics to see? I mean, even if, you know, with the warning, you know, faint of heart? I would. Okay. I would. They showed a video in one online platform of Father Gabriel Amort actually doing an exorcism of a woman, looks like a middle-aged woman, about 50. He's praying over her, and it seems to be that there's people around, and he's got his hand on her head, and he's praying over her, and at first she's calm. At the beginning of the exorcism, she's very normal and just smiles and nods her head, and then they go into the actual exorcism, and eventually they have to restrain her. People have to hold her back. But it's not quite as gruesome as the victim shown in the movie. One of the things he does, this is a little strange now, Father Gabriel Amort, at the beginning of every exorcism, thumbs his nose at the demon. This is a little unusual to show the demon that he's not afraid. That's a little off-putting for me because that's a vulgarity. You know what that means. Kiss my you-know-what. But that's what he does, and they showed that on video. At the beginning of every exorcism, he does that to sort of flaunt the demon or the demons. So I got nothing about this in seminary. When I was in seminary in the 1980s, there was no instruction or talk about this whatsoever. Now they are starting to teach it in seminary, and there are classes about it. Nevertheless, your average priest has to be delegated by the bishop to do a full-scale exorcism, and that is an appointment. In the diocese here, we do have a diocesan exorcist, one of our priests. So we can't pray over people for deliverance and for release from evil in a sort of, as I may say, an informal way. There's nothing wrong with that. And lay people can do that with lay people, I believe, as well. Do you think, like, having this depicted, the story of this Catholic exorcist, Father Amour, kind of might change some of the minds of some people that have this picture of the devil, the real negative side of it? Because we know this is a big thing now. Everything's very dark. A lot of the movies are very dark. A lot of the kids are into a lot of satanic things. Can be, yes. I've heard reports of that, too. Yeah, yeah. So maybe it might have that effect. Wake people up. Scare people straight, so to speak. The International Association of Exorcists recommends another movie called Liberanos. Liberanos means free us. It's Latin for free us. It's another movie about exorcisms. I've not seen it, and they recommend that. And then LifeSite News was recommending one called Nefarious. Oh, I heard that, yes. Nefarious is also in the theaters, I think, about now. I don't think it's as famous or as prominent as the Pope's Exorcist, which features a major Hollywood star. But boy, oh boy, John Weston was really talking up, he's the head of LifeSite News, was really talking up Nefarious. They showed a few trailers of it, but nothing like the Pope's Exorcist, nothing as dramatic as that. Nefarious is supposedly about the woke agenda and the satanic agenda, the satanic planning behind the woke agenda. So the trailer just shows somebody, like a lawyer, talking to a prisoner in prison, and then the light bulb overhead popping off or breaking apart. And that's all it showed. But that was highly recommended by LifeSite News. Just a few end comments before we move on to our next topic. As I was listening about Divine Mercy, which we just celebrated, and Father Chris Alar, who's the director of the Marians up in Stockbridge, where the Divine Mercy Shrine is in the U.S. And he said, this is something that blew my mind, talk about Scared Straight. He said that every time an abortion is done, a demon is released. So of the 60 million plus that's been done in the U.S. and billions throughout the world, we need to be concerned about this. We can't fear the demons, but we know that we can't say they're not around. And we have to, as Catholics, we have to put on the armor and attack that. So the other thing I wanted to mention is you talked about the WOLP agenda. Something that I've seen, it's been repeated on EWTN. If you haven't seen it, this is also a real eye-opener. It's called Wolves in Sheep's Clothing. And it's usually shown in the late evenings on EWTN once a month. And there's a Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Part 1 and a Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Part 2. Part 2 deals with the gender agenda. And it kind of tracks, both films track how we got here, as you're talking about with Nefarious. It didn't just happen. And it's very worthwhile watching. I've watched it four or five times, and I still have to watch it because I pick up something new every time. But anyway, moving on, we have about one minute to go. And so on the other side of the show, we'll be talking a little bit about what's been going on with the Catholic bishops and the abortion drug, some things that are going on with the FBI in investigating Catholics, and what has been happening with the Walter Reed Military Hospital with the pastoral care under review. So what we'll do is we'll go to break. And please join us on the other side. We're listening to Holy Family Radio 720 WHYF. Please stay with us. We'll be right back. Okay. How do you pronounce that, the drug? How do you pronounce that, the abortion drug? I know. Mifepristone? I don't know. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. I think that's how you say it. I don't know. M-I-S-E-P-R-I-S-T-O-N-E. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. Mifepristone. Okay. Yeah. So we can talk about that. Let me get my notes for that real quick. Oops. Sorry. That was me. Papers against the... Did I hit that button again? No, you're good. I'm good? Okay. I think so. Sensitive. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.