The Rite - Matt Baglio

The inspiration for the film starring Anthony Hopkins, journalist Matt Baglio uses the astonishing
story of one American priest's training as an exorcist to reveal that
the phenomena of possession, demons, the Devil, and exorcism are not
merely a remnant of the archaic past, but remain a fearsome power in
many people's lives even today.

Father Gary Thomas was
working as a parish priest in California when he was asked by his bishop
to travel to Rome for training in the rite of exorcism. Though
initially surprised, and slightly reluctant, he accepted this
call, and enrolled in a new exorcism course at a Vatican-affiliated
university, which taught him, among other things, how to distinguish
between a genuine possession and mental illness. Eventually he would go
on to participate in more than eighty exorcisms as an apprentice to a
veteran Italian exorcist. His experiences profoundly changed the way he
viewed the spiritual world, and as he moved from rational skeptic to
practicing exorcist he came to understand the battle between good and
evil in a whole new light. Journalist Matt Baglio had full access to
Father Gary over the course of his training, and much of what he learned
defies explanation.

The Rite provides fascinating
vignettes from the lives of exorcists and people possessed by demons,
including firsthand accounts of exorcists at work casting out demons,
culminating in Father Gary's own confrontations with the Devil. Baglio
also traces the history of exorcism, revealing its rites and rituals,
explaining what the Catholic Church really teaches about demonic
possession, and delving into such related topics as the hierarchy of
angels and demons, satanic cults, black masses, curses, and the various
theories used by modern scientists and anthropologists who seek to
quantify such phenomena.

Written with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, The Rite shows that the truth about demonic possession is not only stranger than fiction, but also far more chilling.