Double Day will be publishing the book, written by Roman journalist Matt Baglio, sometime in 2009 and today The Hollywood Reporter have announced that New Line already has the rights in hand to ...

BALTIMORE — The rite, those few priests who have performed it say, can unfold as a quiet prayer session or a show of violence.

As a result, persecutions like the Inquisition took on an exorcism-like feel. In this context, the first official rite of exorcism was sanctioned by the Catholic Church.

The exorcism is still very much a valid rite, priests say. It was first entered into the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1614 and was renewed in 1998 by Pope John Paul II.

"The Rite" opens today, making it the latest film in a long tradition that exploits the inherent freakiness of the religious exorcism. As the centerpiece of a horror flick, exorcism is a can't ...