LOS ANGELES — Another religion-laced terror story has descended on Hollywood with “The Pope’s Exorcist,” thanks to the help of a real-life Jesuit priest.
The film, starring Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, is based on the life of Father Gabriele Amorth, who was the chief Vatican exorcist. He was born in Modena, in northern Italy, in 1925. During World War II, he was recruited into the Italian army but later switched sides and became partisan in the fight against the fascists and Nazis.
Amorth became the chief exorcist of the Vatican in 1992 and died in 2016 at 91.
Father Edward Siebert, who teaches at Loyola Marymount University and serves as one of the producers on “The Pope’s Exorcist,” says the film is about good vs. evil — but stressed that it’s historical fiction.
He says the rite of exorcism is rare and not always how it is seen in Hollywood movies.
“They are always done in collaboration with the diocese and approval by the bishop,” he told Spectrum News.
Father Siebert said that before an exorcism is performed, an individual needs to go through medical and psychological exams, seek the counsel of others, have the agreement of the diocese, and once demonic possession is determined, the process of exorcism begins.
“What the ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ does is take a composite of the practice of doing the rite of exorcism and taking those exaggerated moments, some people might say sensational moments, and puts them on the screen. It represents what evil is all about because evil is not tangible. It is hard to show viewers what evil is,” he said.
Showing evil through demonic possession, eyes bulging, head spinning, allows viewers to get a better sense of what evil is, says Father Siebert.
Siebert, who also runs Loyola Productions, says he always wanted to make movies. A producer who worked with him pushed him to make a movie based on the life of Amorth.
It took eight years to bring the film to the big screen.
“It didn’t just happen overnight. This was a long process, but who better to work on this film than a Jesuit priest who is a filmmaker,” he said.
How does Father Siebert describe Amorth?
“He was a man of prayer, a man of conviction. He really wanted to minster to people who were suffering. Ultimately, he found that being an exorcist was a way of doing that. It’s a unique ministry,” he said.
Siebert says that being an executive producer on the film allowed him to shape the story. He says he was never worried about what his religious superiors might say because he just wanted to make a good movie about good and evil.
“This is a story of hope. I really believe that,” he said.
Does Siebert think Pope Francis will watch the film?
“He likes movies. I don’t know if he likes horror films. If he does great. If he doesn’t, then that’s okay. I think he would appreciate the fact that a Jesuit is working hard trying innovated ways to help people recognize God’s love, ultimately,” he said.
“The Pope’s Exorcist” is out now in theaters.
-
