The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist

Father Gary Thomas had served as a pastor in California for twelve years when he attended a course on demonic possession in Rome and participated in more than eighty exorcisms along with a senior Italian exorcist. These experiences profoundly changed the way he approached his calling and his views on the nature of evil and human suffering. Written by journalist Matt Baglio, who had full cooperation from Father Gary as he learned the process of exorcism, THE RITE is an astonishing portrait of the phenomenon of demonic possession and of one priest's transformation from a skeptical apprentice to a practicing exorcist. THE RITE provides fascinating vignettes from the lives of exorcists and people possessed by demonsculminating with Father Garys own fearsome confrontation with the Devil. Baglio traces the history of exorcism, revealing its rites and rituals, and he delves into such related topics as angels and demons, satanic cults, black masses, curses, and the many mysterious locales that make up this strange world. Novels and films likeThe Exorcisthave captured the imagination of millions. Written with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, THE RITE is proof that truth about demonic possession is not only stranger than fiction but also far more chilling.