Indianapolis, Ind., Nov 26, 2016 / 05:02 am
With the September debut of the new T.V. series The Exorcist, based on the horror film series of the same name from the 1970s, another wave of fascination with the supernatural has also surfaced.
In an article prior to the show's launch, Lance Higdon, writing for pop culture website Vice, explored the world of exorcism, a phenomenon mysterious to many inside and outside the Church.
Higdon recalled that in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) in May, director William Friedkin, of the original "The Exorcism" film series, claimed that he had been invited to the Vatican to see - and film - an exorcism in real life.
A Vatican spokesman denied the claim to AFP, noting that the Vatican does not have an official exorcist. The spokesman said it may have been possible that Friedkin was mistaking the Vatican for another Catholic entity.