The supernatural thriller film “The Pope’s Exorcist,” directed by Australian Julius Avery and featuring New Zealand actor Russell Crowe as Father Gabriel Amorth, has garnered significant attention on television, platforms, and social networks.

The movie is slated for release in April and draws inspiration from the experiences of the late Father Amorth, who served as the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist and carried out tens of thousands of exorcisms over the course of his sixty-plus years as a priest.

However, not everyone is enthusiastic about the film’s release.

Recently, the International Association of Exorcists, a group recognized by the Catholic Church, issued a letter expressing their reservations regarding the film’s depiction of exorcism and Father Amorth. The organization notes that the film’s title is presumptuous and that the trailer implies a lack of dependability on such a sensitive and pertinent subject.

The letter goes on to state that the movie takes excessive liberties in adapting Father Amorth’s memoirs and that Russell Crowe’s appearance and demeanor do not match the human and priestly characteristics of Father Amorth. The production company and director appear more invested in the “eye-catching” correlation between the exorcist and the famous gladiator from two decades ago than in the spirit of service that drives Father Amorth in his consolation ministry.

Furthermore, the International Association of Exorcists is anxious that the film’s portrayal of exorcism is contrary to historical truth and misrepresents and falsifies what is genuinely experienced during the exorcism of those who are genuinely possessed. They also find the film offensive to the condition of suffering in which those who are victims of the devil’s extraordinary actions find themselves.

In comparison to “The Pope’s Exorcist,” the International Association of Exorcists advocates for the film “Libera Nos,” which accurately portrays exorcism in the Catholic Church and demonstrates how it is an exceptionally joyous event. Those tormented by the devil’s extraordinary action slowly find liberation and peace as they experience the living presence and action of Christ the Lord and the Communion of Saints.

The International Association of Exorcists also notes that the film portrays exorcism as a spectacle meant to evoke strong and unhealthy emotions, promoting the idea that exorcism is an abnormal, monstrous, and terrifying occurrence whose only protagonist is the devil. They argue that this is the opposite of what occurs in the context of exorcism in the Catholic Church, where guidelines dictate obedience.

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27 COMMENTS

  1. Dear uCatholic:

    Where is this supposed letter from the International Association of Exorcists that condemns The Pope’s Exorcist film?

    How about including a link so that your site’s readers can see it?

    I just googled and cannot find anything anywhere about a statement from the IAE about the film, either positive or negative.

    • Exactly! What is there to get all worked up about? If they made a really serious documentary about Father Amorth, it would just end up buried on some streaming service with a few people seeing it. But with a Russell Crowe movie debuting in the theaters around the whole world, many more people will hear about Father Amorth and read his excellent books.

    • The problem is that this is a powerful medium and people accept it as a documentary. Whether you realize it or not. This is a dangerous subject to not treat it accurately.

  3. Is this the same church that moved pedophile priests around, paid out hush money, and still manages to keep people believing in the demonic possession of their parishioners?

    • You’re entitled to your opinion Bob. The church is not the only place harbouring Judases, we all have the potential to be Judas and while some of us are successful in winning that battle everyday or privileged enough not to have to fight it, there’s no escaping potential for evil is all around us every minute and every place. The Church has been of huge benefit to billions, without any disrespect to the victims of abuse, we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater.

        • Not sure why people still ask this question over and over when the answer has been the same since the very beginning of time. Clearly you can read and write so you have that going for you, which means even a simple google of “why does God allow bad things to happen” yields pages and pages and tons of videos for every grade level to understand the answer. So you either chose not to want to really know or you chose to ignore the answer.

          everyone is entitled to FREE WILL, they make their choices. Popes, Priests, Nuns, regular folk like you and I, are all free to chose our own paths. Isn’t it crazy that even priest are human?? Isn’t it wild that even regular human folk can do bad things? No one is immune to the temptations of evil, no one (aside from Jesus Christ, you can read about that if you like). God is not a dictator meddling in our lives playing Superman, because if that was the case, then we’d be rallying against a tyrant God who meddles with our free will.

          The Catholic church is not immune to the evils of this world. Luckily I don’t worship people, I don’t think my priests is perfect, I don’t think the Pope is perfect, and I don’t think they are either. If God himself came down and committed these crimes, then we’d have a problem, but you’re saying it’s God’s fault for what people do? I think you have a completely wrong idea of what the church is.

          Hope to keep the convo going!

    • Ok great Bob. Now do government schools. Or all the rest of the “churches”. Because priest represent less than 1% of that demographic of pedos. I’ll wait.

    • Ok guys, wrap it up, Declan in all his wisdom and knowledge has it all figured out. He’s seen it all, he’s read it all ,experienced it all, we can trust Declan to tell it to us straight, in all his <100 years of life he's cracked the codes and unraveled the cosmos, he's traversed all the lands and was there, during every moment of time, only to report back to us the cold hard facts.

    • Well, Declan, the evil one believes in you. i won’t say his name because that only glorifies him more. he is the father of lies. keep falling for that lie & he’ll keep you from the love, peace & joy that knowing there’s a loving God out there whose one & only Son would have died and suffered, even if you were the only person in the world to save. i urge you to watch the movie, the exorcism of emily rose. this was based on a true story. then read the Gospel of John. Praying for your conversion. 🙏🙏🙏✝️✝️✝️🕊️🕊️🕊️🔥🔥🔥

    • I’m sorry to burst your bubble Declan, but demons are real. Consider yourself fortunate enough to have never witnessed such evil things (My family and I have). I could tell you some experiences that would keep you awake at night. But it does not matter what you are told because you have already made up your mind. Skepticism is great, but too much prevents you from ever learning at all. Swallow you pride, be good, be loving, and be forgiving. The world has more than enough hate in it. Jesus loves you!

  6. Declan just because you didn’t see a demon or have first hand knowledge of such does not mean they don’t exist. Open your eyes a little bit and do some research before blathering on and showing your lack of knowledge in this area.

  7. In this present era one doesn’t have to look far to see the evil one at work. Through our governments, big corporations, and tech, it’s simple to see the greed fueled by satan. btw..there is a dvd version of The Gospel of Saint John: the exact words of the that gospel in film version. A beautiful film with instruments from the era of Jesus providing background music.

  8. I have seen this film now and it is pure fiction. To the atheist and those not associated with any church it will be greatly entertaining if they like the actor, and the special effects. I understand why it would not sit well with the Church. Also, that was nothing like Fr. Gabriele at all. However (and i know what they say about everything that comes before a ‘but’) it has many people looking for those books that Crowe’s character mentions in the film. I have already read two and i’m glad that i did. That is surely something the devil did not bargain for. Nor the fact that i understand the Catholic Chruch just a little bit better. Any outsider can say that this or that church is flawed, and every denomination might well have many flaws, but after this film got me investigating and reading i can see the excellent humans that does very important, Godly works irrespective. We’re all flawed. So what, i almost want to ask. But the more i read articles and books by Fr. Amorth and those who recorded his thoughts the more i appreciate those like him, and the work they do. And i do not only mean exorcists (although they are ever important as a means of defense against satan and his works) but all those individuals from all denominations that does good and who’s works is aimed at defeating the devil’s. No: the film is not accurate at all. It’s just cheap albeit (good?) entertainment. But it told everyone about this priest, the very hard work that he did, what good is did and why it is so important. And i have new respect for exorcists. I could never do what they do. But they even do it for those not of the Church. That is what our Savior has done. And that is fantastic. Please do not stop posting articles like these. We need to create awareness.

  9. Much as Diogenes, with his lamp, I continue to seek an honest man. In eight decades I have been blessed to find many, Unfortunately my lamp has also detected evil and on more than one occasion — the enemy has been me, my flaw and my failure. The lamp has always illuminated the correct direction and it has always been toward love of Christ and knowing the best self which he has identified and created within me. I’ll keep searching and trying to meet his expectations.
    RCS

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