Question About Movies

Hi Father,

Long time reader, first time writer. I know the Church teaches that Ouija boards are no game and should never be used but I was wondering if watching movies such as The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, or Nightmare on Elm Street or shows such as the new “reality” series Ghost Hunters were inviting Satan into our lives and into our homes.

Thanks for your help,
Anonymous in Chariton

Anonymous,

First of all, please do not be afraid to be known. There is a policy among priests that, as far as anonymous letters go, they are not worth responding to since the authors are not upfront about identifying with and taking responsibility for their concerns. This usually refers to anonymous letters of criticism and condemnation. However, since your question is legitimate and not critical I will proceed.

A distinction needs to be made in the movies that you refer to. Films such as "The Exorcist" and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" are films, though "Holywoodized", that refer to actual events. As Catholics we believe in the reality of possession by the devil. While some admittedly watch these films for the purely entertainment value this does not change the reality that possession is a fact attested to in the Holy Scriptures and by the Tradition and Teaching authority of the Church. Fantasy films such as the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" have often been used as analogies by Christian writers to relay lessons on good and evil. Other fantasy movies such as the "Harry Potter" Series are more debatable because some see them as promoting the occult, However, I have known some very orthodox Catholics who have enjoyed them on a purely fantasy level without any danger to their faith. Horror films such as "A Nightmare On Elm Street" can be seen as fantasy films as well yet the question must be asked how much enjoyment are we getting off the gratuitous violence inflicted on other persons. Series such as the "Ghost Hunters" deals with the supernatural. While seemingly less innocuous then the horror films these shows deal with belief in other "spirits" and attempts to contact them and or channel them. The problem with such shows is belief in a spirit world inconsistent with the Christian notion of God and his creation and what happens to us after death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2110-2117) deals with this issue somewhat. So when discerning to watch such films we have to address whether or not these films deal with a Christian subject matter and do they address it fairly accurately, if fantasy do we recognize it as subject or are we lured into believing in an alternative understanding of the spiritual, how much enjoyment are we getting out of gratuitous violence and how much one can make these distinctions, as in the decision to allow children to watch such shows.

Fr.