What is an exorcism?

Thanks to horror movies, many people are aware that the Catholic church has rituals, called exorcisms, which are practiced by Catholic priests. In the horror genre, exorcisms are intended to cast evil spirits out of possessed people. They are dramatic events, potentially traumatizing to witness, often attended by screaming, violence, bodily contortions, and supernatural occurrences. But are these portrayals of exorcisms accurate? What is an exorcism, really? Do Catholics believe in demonic possession anymore? And is this an exclusively Catholic ritual? 

On this episode of the podcast, guest Andrew Chesnut discusses the Catholic practice of exorcism and what the institutional church teaches about demonic possession. He also talks about the practice of exorcism as a feature of Pentecostal churches in Latin America, and how this ritual overlaps with other religious traditions in post-colonial cultures.  

Chesnut is the Bishop Walter Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies and a professor of religious studies in the School of World Studies in the College of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has researched and published extensively on Latin American folk religions, especially the cult of Santa Muerte, as well as on the practice of exorcism in both the Catholic and the Pentecostal traditions. 

You can learn more about this topic in these links:

“The centuries-old practice of exorcism is on the rise. Why now?”  An interview with Andrew Chesnut. https://news.vcu.edu/article/The_centuriesold_practice_of_exorcism_is_on_the_rise_Why_now

“The Extraordinary Exorcism of Mexico,” by Andrew Chesnut. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-extraordinary-exorcis_b_7585508

“What is an exorcism?” by Richard Fragomeni. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202310/what-is-an-exorcism/

“Exorcism – how does it work and why is it on the rise?” by Helen Hall. https://theconversation.com/exorcism-how-does-it-work-and-why-is-it-on-the-rise-93459

“Exorcism: Increasingly frequent, including after US protests,” by David Crary. https://apnews.com/article/portland-san-francisco-oregon-cff13a56cd41997553ea3e9a8fc21384

Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://www.claretiansusa.org/