By Michael Miner
Despite this discouragement, exorcism is a topic with which the press occasionally becomes obsessed. Consider these headlines: “Exercises in Exorcism,” Christianity Today. “Exorcism Frenzy,” Newsweek. “Exorcism: Is It for Real?” Christianity Today. “Exorcist: the Roman Catholic Rite,” Newsweek. “Who Believes in Exorcism?” Christianity Today. “Devil and the Priest,” Saturday Evening Post. “Sexorcist,” New York Times Magazine.
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McClory was speaking of Cardinal George’s appointment of a priest to act as archdiocesan exorcist. To be fair to the cardinal, the appointment was made quietly. Nevertheless, the other day it exploded into a headline.
The front page of the Sun-Times of September 19 screamed “Archdiocese Gets Exorcist” in type suitable for “World at War!” (If Rupert Murdoch still owned the Sun-Times the paper wouldn’t have pussyfooted around. The front page would have said it straight out: “Chicago Declares War on Devil.”)
Unfortunately for the freewheeling captains of journalism, readers do know when their chains are being jerked. Surely Catholics aware of the profound skepticism within their own ranks assumed upon spotting the extravagant banner that notoriously skeptical journalists were laughing up their sleeve. Sun-Times staffers were laughing–but less at the church than at their own paper’s cheesy opportunism.
New page-two columnist Mark Brown jumped on the subject and came up with a terrific angle. Beneath the impudent headline “Getting to the crux of exorcism,” Brown alluded to the “interesting story under a rather large headline” that had just appeared in his own paper and covered his backside by noting that “this is a touchy subject for a columnist” and he meant no offense to Catholics “who may see the rite of exorcism as an important part of their faith.” Then he had his fun. He told us that one of his editors, a former seminarian, had just revealed that he was technically an exorcist himself, having (like McClory) received the minor order of exorcist during his studies for the priesthood. “They never really told us how to do it,” said the editor.
Across the land, envious editors read the Sun-Times story. A spokesman for the Chicago archdiocese tells me that dioceses all over the country began fielding calls from local reporters: If Chicago has an exorcist and New York has an exorcist–well, what about us? Of course The Exorcist wasn’t about to open only in Chicago.
