The Vatican's Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil in the 21st Century

I found this book to be a well-written account of a scary phenomenon. I have had personal experience with what I believe to have been manifestations of demonic oppression in a friend, which were only helped by prayer. I have never seen or been party to a formal exorcism, however, but this book sent chills up my spine and confirmed what I already "knew." Although many do not believe in "the devil," and think that those of us who do are kind of nuts, the book provides a viable case for his existence and for how he can be dealt with in the modern world. It fills in the gaps, when nothing else can explain certain behaviors and supernatural events that go beyond symptoms of mental illness.

Outside of horror movies and the pulpits of certain fundamentalist sects, the Devil isn't really taken that seriously today. Yet human behavior, for all the efforts made by scientists and psychologists, still holds significant mysteries. Our motives are often hidden, even from ourselves. Unknown talents surface seemingly by accident. We say things we never would believe we would say. We see things that aren't there. Our memories mutate from year to year. It sometimes seems that our own minds have a "mind of their own." A scary experience, when you think about it. And what to make of it when we perform deeds that are evil or crazy? Are we in control of our own mids? Or is something else controlling them? And if something or someone else can control our thoughts, can we make it stop? Tracy Wilkinson has put together a light, but not altogether lighthearted look at clerics and laypersons in Italy who believe -- to one degree or another -- that demonic forces can control behavior. Though not a Catholic, and not a believer in diabolical influence, she is unbiased in her assessments, but for a somewhat bemused tone regarding the odd goings-on she witnesses. Wilkerson reports on a number of afflicted people -- Lucia, a highly disturbed and occasionally suicidal woman who is debilitated by her condition; Caterina, a classical dance instructor who manages her life fairly well with weekly visits to the exorcist; and Francesca, a medical student who was afflicted by demons for several years, but now sees herself as cured. Wilkerson also reports on their exorcists, good-intentioned priests who have worked with these patients, sometimes for as many as 12 years, praying with them, asking for liberation and sometimes doing full-blown exorcisms. Wilkerson's firsthand accounts of exorcisms are fascinating and realistic. No head-spinning or pea soup vomit, but lots of cursing, weird voicing, lunging and aversion to holy objects. Wilkerson spends time with some of the Catholic superstars of exorcism. There is Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, who caused notoriety when he married a woman from Reverend Moon's church and later ordained a number of married men. Milingo created a storm in Africa where his wild exorcisms and healing masses attracted many, and caused nervousness among the buttoned-up church hierarchy. There are also other exorcists, less enthralled by their function, who would just as soon be doing something else and worry about patients forming dependent relationships. Then, there are the priests who run from exorcism as from the devil himself. Wilkeson also details several exorcisms performed by the late Pope John Paul II, not all of which (interestingly) were successful. "The Vatican's Exorcists" does not (and, of course, not) come to a definitive conclusion about the existence of the devil and the efficacy of exorcism. But the book's up-close reporting does help the reader raise questions about the practice. For one, if prayer (and holy water, salt or

Understanding author Tracy Wilkinson to be a complete outsider both to Catholic ritual and the mystical practice of exorcism, her concise but compelling text proved a remarkable feat; she not only gained first-hand insight into the structure and procedural protocol of contemporary exorcism but also coordinated candid one-on-one conversations with some of the Vatican's premiere practitioners. What the reader finds in "The Vatican's Exorcists" is a solid and thorough introduction to both the history and ongoing legacy of Italian exorcism. The work focuses largely on the actions and executions of some 350 Italian exorcists operating in and around the region today; Wilkinson speaks with a few, observes the actions of others, and records not only what she sees and hears but also what she has extensively researched (her data backed by an exhaustive bibliography). For those individuals interesting in gaining deeper insight into the whos, whats, and whys of exorcism, both modern and ancient, this title is worthy of your perusal. As for the matter of Wilkinson's competence as a writer, she most certainly possesses sufficient skill to research and draft a work of this size and depth. Although she may not be the most eloquent writer of our age, her prose is simplistic and stylized - her voice evocative and effective. That being said, readers are warned to remain vigilant against biased commentary and editorial content, both of which occasionally dot this supposedly 'impartial' text. While she no doubt paints a largely accurate portrait of the Vatican's exorcists, one cannot fully ameliorate the nagging concern that perhaps some details and factoids were intentionally omitted. Whilst reading, one should probably consider the following query - is the content presented in a proportional manner or have some details undergone distortion? Despite a few opinioned insertions, Wilkinson's text remains a significant journalistic achievement which succeeds on numerous levels; her investigative report is an enjoyable read, an intriguing work of non-fiction, and one of very few exorcism-intensive texts written by a non-Catholic layperson. This work isn't so much religious as it is scholarly; through Wilkinson's eyes do we see the sacred art of exorcism examined from a secular standpoint. The dissection is complete - Wilkinson awaits your interpretation.

If you have not ever read one of the books by head exorcist Fr. Amorth, this is a very good bood. I judge a book by how much I have underlined, and even tho I have read both of Amorth's book, I still underlined a big portion of The Vatican's Exorcist. It is not a book to go into great deatils about the exorcisms done, but more about those who became exorcists, and what they go through with that position. If one is interested in that area of the Priesthood, then I would recommend this book. For me it was a fast, easy read, but informative too. I only wish it was longer than almost 160 pages!