The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist [Hardcover]

Matt Baglio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009

In The Rite, 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Journalist Baglio follows a Catholic priest through the latter's training to become an exorcist in this incisive look at the church's rite of exorcism and its use in contemporary life. Baglio began delving into the topic after hearing about a course at a Vatican-affiliated university, where he met and befriended the Rev. Gary Thomas, a priest in the diocese of San Jose, Calif. Thomas took the exorcism course at the request of his bishop and subsequently apprenticed himself to a seasoned exorcist. Keenly aware of the misunderstanding that abounds about exorcism through film images, Baglio sets about dispelling misconceptions and does so skillfully, separating the real from the imaginary in the mysterious and unsettling sphere of the demonic. Both Thomas and Baglio were changed by their exposure to the rite. Thomas grew spiritually during the process, which bolstered his desire to help his parishioners, and Baglio, previously a nominal Catholic, reconnected with his faith. For anyone seeking a serious and very human examination of this fascinating subject, one that surpasses the sensational, this is absorbing and enlightening reading. (Mar. 10)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Chanting prayers and slinging holy water, the cinematic exorcist faces the forces of evil with strength and faith. But what of his real-life counterpart? In his first book, journalist Baglio follows Brother Gary, an American Roman Catholic priest, as he learns about exorcism firsthand during a sabbatical in Rome, first through a university class and later through an apprenticeship with an Italian exorcist. Spectacular exorcisms do occur, but most of the book focuses on other topics, from Father Gary's early life to the scientific controversies surrounding exorcism. The Rite provides more questions than answers: Why do some exorcists use methods not approved by the Church? Has the popularity of alternative religions led to a rise in possessions and exorcisms, as Baglio's interviewees maintain? If exorcism is a Christian ritual, why does it benefit Hindus and Muslims? More guidance as to how readers might explore these questions would be welcome, but this book is recommended for all public libraries as a place to begin the dialog.—Dan Harms, SUNY at Cortland Memorial Lib.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Religion; First Edition edition (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385522703
• ISBN-13: 978-0385522700
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

143 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rite Stuff, March 12, 2009

By 

Bert Krages (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist (Hardcover)

This is a well-written book by a journalist who covers an American priest's sabbatical in Rome to learn how to administer exorcism. The book lays a solid foundation for understanding both the practical and theological underpinnings of the actions of demons as understood by the Catholic Church and its measured response to claims of possession. One of the things that makes the book interesting is the reserved and often skeptical approach that the Church takes evaluating claims of possession and its insistence that psychiatric and other disorders be ruled out before proceeding forward. Another strong aspect of the book is that it shows the education and apprenticeship that the priest undergoes in becoming appointed as the exorcist for a diocese. The author does an excellent job of describing the personalities of the key subjects of the book and presents descriptions of exorcisms in a very measured way. If you are looking for a book that covers an obscure part of the Catholic Church in a respectful and matter-of-fact manner, The Rite would be an excellent choice.

100 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Don't Really Believe Those Exorcist Stories Do You?, September 5, 2010

By 

Thomas M. Loarie (Danville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist (Paperback)

This question (my review headline) was recently asked of me by the Jesuit President of a famous Jesuit university after I had announced to a small group that Rev. Gary Thomas, an exorcist, would be one of our featured guests in the 2010-2011 Oakland Diocese's Catholics@Work Speakers Series. His disparaging response is characteristic of today's American Catholic Clergy as many find the concept of the Devil and exorcism to be a sideshow that no "serious minded "priest would lose time considering and would just as soon forget.

Those who doubt the existence of evil and the Devil are reminded in "The Rite" to be mindful of French poet Charles Baudelaire's philosophic proclamation - "the Devil had finally convinced the world that he no longer existed."

Fortunately, an unintentional spoiler has come along - Matt Baglio, an ambivalent "cultural" Catholic who was living in Italy as a freelance writer and Vatican journalist. In 2005, Baglio heard that one of the Vatican universities was offering a course entitled "Exorcism and the Prayer of Liberation." While writing about exorcism was not at the top of his list of subjects to write about, Baglio was curious, believing this might be a public relations stunt, registered for the course, and ended up writing "The Rite" about his experience and observations.

Baglio quickly learned that the students were anything but superstitious or puritanical and befriended fellow American Fr. Thomas who impressed him with his honesty and transparency. This marked the beginning of an important journey that both would make together. For Fr. Thomas, a story of a "remarkable American priest who answered the call of his Bishop to become the appointed exorcist for his diocese...who delved deeply into a world he never knew existed, completing the course and participating in over 80 exorcisms along with a senior Italian exorcist. As a result, his view of the world - and his place in it - changed dramatically." For Baglio, a story of journalist reconnecting with his faith in a way he never intended or expected, experiencing a "phenomenon" that filled him with immense joy, also changing his view of the world and his place in it.

Baglio's "The Rite" provides a compelling, hard to put down story that believers and non-believers alike will find satisfying and provocative. He provides an intelligent, myth-busting look at exorcism that explains what the Church really teaches about demonic possession, what the priest and the victim experience, and the critical role of an exorcist in today's orthodox secularist society.

The book is being adapted to film and is presently being shot in Budapest with Anthony Hopkins playing Thomas's teacher. The film is to be released in January 2011.

I highly recommend "The Rite" and bet it will also change your view of the world and your place in it.

82 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Window into Exorcism Today, March 27, 2009

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Baglio was a journalist in Rome when he heard about a new class at a Vatican-affiliated university on exorcism. Fascinated if the church in fact still believed in it, he attended and met one Fr. Gary. This American priest came to provide this interesting window into exorcism today in the Roman Catholic church.

This is a great read about how the American bishops were encouraged to appoint a priest to be trained in Rome as their exorcist. Californian Fr. Gary is such an appointee, and then the book unfolds his trip to Rome, class and development as a certified exorcist.

Not all of this was new to me, except that I too had the major misperception that the Rite of Exorcism, if done properly, cast the demon/s out immediately. Fr. Gary discovers this also, that for some it took decades. The proliferation of demon activity in Italy shocked me as well, but shouldn't as we know the proliferation of the occult is growing worldwide. So much for all spirituality being the same.

We Lutherans concur with this belief that the devil and his cohorts are real and active. Before my being certified at Seminary to be eligible for a call into the ministry, three sem professors questioned me for three solid hours on theological matters. At the end, one asked: do you believe in exorcism. I quickly answered yes. They then demanded that I provide evidence supporting this from Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, which I did. They then asked what I would do to determine that a person was potentially demon possessed, and how I would proceed. I responded with much the same criteria that is used in this book by these exorcists, and that I would contact them to find out how to proceed.

Many Christians besides Roman Catholics hold these same Biblical views about demon possession and exorcism. Interested parties will want to read two good volumes on this: J.W. Montgomery edited a great volume: Demon Possession, and Kurt E. Koch's "Occult Bondage and Deliverance."