An exorcism is the practice upon which an individual utilizes an exacting process to drive a malevolent essence, be it a spirit or a demon from the physical body of an individual that it is possessing and banishes it back to it's place of origin. Most commonly, this is a practice utilized by the Catholic Church and is often referred to as the Rites of Exorcism. The process by which the Rites are conducted have varied within the film and television medium, but they usually share some common traits between them. The conductor of the exorcism is usually a priest and is often attended by another priest to serve as back-up. The target is safely secured in such a fashion so that it cannot harm itself or others. The priests, dressed in full raiment, recite the liturgy while holding up a symbol of their faith, usually a crucifix. This may also be complimented by annointing the affected subject with holy water.

Examples

On the FX Network series American Horror Story, Seventeen-year-old Jed Potter was taken to Briarcliff Manor in 1964 after demonstrating evidence that he had been possessed by a demon. Monsignor Timothy Howard and an elder attendant named Father Malachi performed an exorcism to drive the demon out of Jed's body. This practice was observed using the traditional methods, which included a cross, holy water and recitation of prayer. The exorcism proved successful, but the ordeal was to taxing on the boy's physical form and he died of heart failure shortly afterward. The demon that had been possessing him then leaped into the body of a young nun named Sister Mary Eunice McKee. ^[1]

See also

• Appearances of exorcisms

References