By Michael H. Brown

I saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose the other day, and it had enough chilling scenes to make me aware, at several points, that I was the only one in the theatre (it was a matinee). This is a movie during which one rebukes the devil. It is also one of the more enthralling films I have seen.

But I wouldn't bring children, and I would pray and fast before exposure to any such depiction of evil. For those who are thus prepared, Emily Rose may be the most powerful religious movie in years and brings to the fore some key points that desperately need to be brought forth -- including the fact that priests can be heroic.

It also brings to the fore how important it is for the Church to recognize the working of evil (and to defeat it). Every bishop should see this movie. A video should be sent to every diocese in the West.

Loosely based on a true story, the movie portrays the trial of a priest named Father Richard Moore who was called to perform an exorcism after a 19-year-old parishioner became possessed to a degree that even exceeds what was portrayed in The Exorcist. The priest is charged with negligent homicide when the girl dies. Found guilty by a jury, after prosecution by a Protestant prosecutor, Father Moore is let off, however, with "time served" (a suspended sentence) and so is victorious in the end.

When I say "loosely based," it's because the real case involved a girl named Anneliese Michel who lived in Germany (not Minnesota, as in the film) and involved not one priest but two who courageously attempted to deliver Anneliese (aka Emily) over the course of nearly a year (as opposed to the single session portrayed in the movie). The possession first occurred not in a dormitory, as in the movie, but in the devout Catholic girl's own home, from what I can tell.

But those facts are nearly beside the point. The priest comes out a selfless hero (rare fare in Hollywood these days; indeed) and fascinating mystical aspects are discussed -- starting with the significance of three a.m.

Many are those who have mystical experiences at that precise time, and this finds its way into the movie as Emily Rose first encounters strange disturbances during that witching hour and as a defense attorney named Erin Bruner (a fictional character) later too experiences strange happenings at three a.m. The same happens to Father Moore -- who spots a hooded figure (at three a.m.) in his rectory.

According to the movie, three is the "witching" hour because it mocks the Trinity and serves as the inverse of 3 p.m. -- the hour that Christ died and, let us add, the hour of mercy (tell us your three a.m. experiences).

That's one component. The film also portrays the possessed girl as a "victim soul" or even a saint who at the end hears the voice of the Blessed Mother. In the midst of the greatest battle, Mary tells Emily that the suffering has been allowed by God to show society that evil spirits really do exist. The girl is asked if she wishes to go with the Blessed Mother and leave the torture behind, or remain in the state of possession as a sacrifice. Emily chooses the suffering. As she says in a farewell note to Father Moore, "People think that God is dead. How can they believe that if I show them the devil?"

And so Emily decides to remain and dies a gruesome death when her traumatized and anorexic body, long the target of self-mutilation, finally shuts down. In real life, she was also suffering pneumonia during the last exorcism, which took place on June 30, 1976.

Deep mystery, this: that a saintly person can be possessed. It is in the mystical literature. Emily Rose also develops stigmata. This is described as "the touch of God." Is stigmata caused by evil spirits in certain circumstances? And can demons really kill?

They can kill in rare mysterious circumstances but we know that in the vast majority of cases, exorcism results in great victory and we are protected when we do such things as go to the Archangel Michael, whose feast day is this week!

(Few are those who realize that St. Michael was actually credited with exorcising the devil in the famous case upon which The Exorcist was based; see here.)

A neurologist at the Psychiatric Clinic in Würzburg had diagnosed "Emily" with epilepsy type "grand mal seizures" and here is another point: in many cases, demonic disorders are misdiagnosed as "psychiatric" or psycho-physical disorders and that's why many who are "insane" exhibit several different "personalities" and cannot be cured by standard treatment.

It has been stated in the actual case that there was an aversion to religious objects and that Anneliese broke apart crucifixes, destroyed paintings of Jesus, and tore apart rosaries. Here is yet another question, especially for our Protestant brethren:

If these objects do not carry real power (as many Protestants assert), and are pagan, why are demons so intent on destroying them?

In Emily Rose there are supposedly six afflicting demons, including the spirits that identify themselves as having likewise infested Cain, Judas, Nero, a wayward Frankish priest, and Hitler. At least, that's how the spirits -- who could speak ancient languages -- described it. She was also thought to be afflicted by Lucifer himself. And if the possession was anywhere nearly as powerful as portrayed (thunder, swiveling crucifixes, huge mayhem), it may have been close to the truth. That's how powerful the force was.

But it is also the truth that with Jesus there is final victory; and that when there is fear and trembling, and when it is properly handled, it is not only defeated but leads to salvation (Philippians 2:12, which was Emily's epitaph).

Evil is powerful, yes; even frightening; but with prayer it dissolves like the credits on the screen after a movie in a darkened matinee.

09/29/05

[see also: Interview with priest involved in case behind The Exorcist]