(ZENIT News / Los Ángeles, 06.10.2025).- A chilling yet spiritually resonant chapter of American Catholic history is returning to public consciousness — this time through cinema. «The Ritual», revisits the extraordinary 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt in Earling, Iowa. But this isn’t a retelling that trades reverence for spectacle. Instead, the film blends Hollywood craftsmanship with theological fidelity, guided by those who understand both storytelling and the sacred.
The original case — a grueling 23-day exorcism performed by Capuchin priest Father Theophilus Riesinger, with Father Joseph Steiger serving as chronicler — has long been a benchmark in American accounts of demonic possession. Immortalized first in religious pamphlets and later referenced in media like «Time» magazine, the event drew serious attention for its intensity and the depth of its documentation.
Now, almost a century later, director David Midell brings the story to the screen, with a cast led by Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, and Patricia Heaton. But what sets «The Ritual» apart from other exorcism films isn’t the star power — it’s the conscience behind the camera.
Central to the film’s development was Father Aaron Williams, pastor and rector of the Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez, Mississippi. Initially approached by the production team for permission to shoot scenes inside the basilica, Williams’s involvement soon deepened. Impressed by the sobriety and respect with which the script approached its subject, he agreed not only to host the shoot but to act as spiritual consultant throughout the process.
What followed was an unusual collaboration — one where Hollywood professionals and a Catholic priest worked side by side to ensure spiritual accuracy and thematic integrity. “I told them, this isn’t entertainment if you don’t treat it with seriousness,” said Williams. “And they really listened.”
Williams, who holds a master’s degree in liturgical studies and is pursuing a doctorate, wasn’t merely an on-call advisor. He became a kind of chaplain to the production. Over three months of filming, he offered Mass weekly, led daily blessings of the set, and even helped a crew member explore becoming Catholic. He saw the cast and crew not as visitors to a set, but as a temporary parish.
This atmosphere of mutual respect had practical implications. The Blessed Sacrament was always reverently removed before filming. No irreverent behavior was tolerated within the sacred space. And when Williams suggested theological or liturgical adjustments to the script, director Midell often revised scenes within hours. The result is a film that doesn’t reduce the faith to a prop, but uses it to frame a story about spiritual struggle and redemption.
Patricia Heaton, who portrays a Mother Superior in the film, echoed this sentiment. “Hollywood tends to flatten people of faith into caricatures,” she said. “But here, the nuns and priests are full human beings — with doubts, with burdens, with grace.”
The film doesn’t linger gratuitously on demonic phenomena. Rather, it tries to show how a community, led by its shepherds, confronts evil not with sensationalism, but with quiet strength, prayer, and perseverance. As Williams put it, “The Church is a field hospital. It’s full of wounded people, including the ones doing the healing.”
At a time when pop culture often exploits religion for shock value, «The Ritual» offers a rare reversal: a mainstream film that seeks not just to depict the supernatural, but to understand it through the Church’s own lens. The story doesn’t sidestep the darkness — Emma Schmidt’s torment is rendered with all its historic weight — but it refuses to let darkness have the final word.
This balance is vital, says Williams. “It’s real — possession is real. But an obsession with it can become spiritually harmful. You don’t avoid infection by studying every disease. You stay healthy by living well, and for us, that means the sacraments.”
Ultimately, «The Ritual» isn’t a horror film at heart. It’s a drama about grace — about a Church mobilizing all its spiritual resources for the salvation of one soul. And for Catholics, it’s an invitation not to fear the shadows, but to remember where the true light is found.
“I hope people leave the theater not just thinking about demons,” said Heaton. “I hope they think about sanctity, and what it means to fight for someone’s soul.”
For Williams, that’s the film’s lasting message. “God’s mercy is stronger than anything the enemy can do. That’s not a tagline. That’s the truth.”
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