The new movie “The Conjuring” might be the surprise hit of the summer. But, as a Catholic, I would stay away from it. The story is about a supposed haunted house and the Catholic couple, who are paranormal investigators, brought in by the tortured family to discover what is wrong with their new home. The film is based on the work of the real life Ed and Lorraine Warren. On their web-site, they make several claims about working with the Catholic Church and various priests; but provide no evidence. Mr. Warren also makes some odd claims. He writes:
“...mediums and clairvoyants are very necessary to us because they tell us immediately if something is there. I wouldn't know—I could go into a building for a month and not know if there is something really there. I could interview the people, and maybe through my knowledge I could tell if something is there, but the clairvoyant is the draw. The spirits are drawn to a medium/clairvoyant like a moth is drawn to a flame.”
This dangerous belief that they can take on the powers of hell is a recipe for disaster. Only a select few priests are ever assigned as exorcists. Interestingly, Warren's wife is a self-proclaimed “trance medium.” Some of the other materiel on the web-site, though containing many specks of Catholic Truth, is a strange mix of New-Ageism, psychic research, and ghost mythology. Oddly enough though, Mr. Warren also seems to contradict himself, by at once proclaiming the beneficial aspects of ESP, and then warning against it:
“They shouldn’t go to psychic readers, or play with Tarot cards, or anything where they are asking for information from the spirit world. When they ask,”Will I ever get married?” or “Will I get a good job?” who do you think they are asking? The spirit world, of course. My advice is that if someone wants to communicate with spirits, they should go to church.”
Its a confusing jumble; reflected in the film when the lay people attempt an exorcism. As someone who was demonically possessed, I would never put the fate of my soul in the hands of the unordained. In Our Lord's time, those who never met Christ were casting out demons using His name. But, over the centuries, Jesus and the Saints have established the Catholic Church to perform the Sacramental Ministries. Like in the original Apostles, the priest has the power of his anointing. When I was touched by one, I dropped like a stone falling through the air. I know we are in desperate times, and they often call for desperate measures, but the devil is not one to be toyed with. If you have cancer - you go to an oncologist; if you have a toothache - you go to a dentist; if you have a demon - you to a priest.