ON FAITH & MEDIA | Exorcist: The Beginning

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Exorcist: The Beginning

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Source: Catholic News Service

Underwhelming prequel to the 1973 horror classic set in 1949 Africa where the eponymous priest (Stellan Skarsgard), having lost his faith after witnessing Nazi atrocities, battles satanic forces released by the discovery of a mysterious Byzantine Christian church unearthed after centuries. While not without some cheap chills, director Renny Harlin has exorcised any real eeriness out the film, substituting more-silly-than-scary supernatural special-effects for genuine suspense. Grisly scenes of demonic possession, two graphic suicides, some battlefield violence and associated gore, strong sexual references and rough language, and some instances of defiled religious symbols. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

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Romuald: After a wasted youth, Romuald saw his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna in Italy. After three years some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out.
<p>He spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope’s permission to preach the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed. </p><p>During another period of his life, he suffered great spiritual dryness. One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit which never left him. </p><p>At the next monastery where he stayed, he was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life. Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He was given a severe penance, forbidden to offer Mass and excommunicated, an unjust sentence he endured in silence for six months. </p><p>The most famous of the monasteries he founded was that of the Camaldoli (Campus Maldoli, name of the owner) in Tuscany. Here he founded the Order of the Camaldolese Benedictines, uniting a monastic and hermit life. </p><p>His father later became a monk, wavered and was kept faithful by the encouragement of his son.</p>

Jesus has suffered for all of us, and he suffers in all of us. He is the reason why redemption and glory are destined to rise up out of our own suffering. We simply need to adhere to him in faith, hope, and love.

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