By Susan Ciancio
Today only, a Fathom Entertainment and Goya Producciones event, in conjunction with the Association of International Exorcists and Candelaria Productions Inc., a movie hits theaters that will not only wake viewers up to the reality of evil and frighten them to the core but will offer hope and concrete ways to protect themselves from the influence of demons. Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists aims to answer these questions and more: “Who is the devil, and how does he operate? What are his weapons? How do you protect yourself and loved ones from these demonic attacks? When does true demonic possession occur? What is an exorcism?”
A press release states that “this is the first authoritative documentary to delve into the various aspects of demonic possession and exorcism while showcasing the escalation and significance as well as the role of Catholic priesthood and Mary, the Mother of God, in the battle against evil.”
Oscar Delgado, cofounder of Candelaria Productions Inc., says in the release: “Our team wants everyone to know how to pick up the sword of the Holy Spirit and fight to win with Jesus Christ.” He continues, “It’s time for the Church to give rightful acknowledgement to God and His power during this hallowed season [of Hallowtide] dedicated to the angels and saints and use this film as an opportunity to instruct the faithful on how to truly be the Church militant.”
This powerful film is a must-see not only because it delves into the reality that demons exist and that they do prowl about the world searching for souls to devour, but because we must know that we have the power to conquer them.
That power comes not only from God and the saints but from our Blessed Mother, who stands in stark contrast to the evil of Satan.
The devil hates
The film explains that Jesus unmasks Satan by calling him a liar, a murderer, and the one who divides and brings war and conflict. The devil wants to separate man from God, to create hate, and to make man hate himself and others.
As Rev. Paolo Morocutti, exorcist and a university professor in Italy, explains in the film, “There’s an evil that comes from the wrong choices we make, an evil that comes from sin.”
We certainly see that today, especially with the threats to life that are so ubiquitous. Not only do we see wars between countries and violence in our streets, but we see wars within our culture—between moms and babies, doctors and sick people, and politicians and citizens. Anyone who devalues life and attempts to eradicate those who are weaker, sick, not yet born, different in some way, or who are deemed “useless” is surely doing the work of Satan. These threats to life divide our country and harden hearts to the love of Christ.
Triumph Over Evil goes on to explain that “the devil hates human nature” because God became man, so he works to destroy human beings and to drive a wedge between us and God. He tempts people with evil that looks good at first; he hides himself as a good so people let him in. It is only after they let him in that they see his true self and his ugliness. And sometimes, when a person has dabbled in the occult, lived so long in mortal sin, or otherwise opened himself up to evil, Satan literally takes possession of man’s body to torment him.
This is absolutely not something that only happens in horror movies, and this film will open your eyes to the dark reality of evil. Seeing a recreated exorcism and learning about how they are conducted is frightening, but we need to be frightened to know what we are up against. We must see the reality so that we know how to fight it.
Our Blessed Mother’s strength
The film explains that the devil cannot stand Mary or the power of the rosary. In fact, it recounts the story of how a demon told one exorcist that he wasn’t leaving the person’s body, so the priest said “okay, you can be here while I pray the rosary,” and the demon immediately fled. He didn’t want to be around when the name of Mary was spoken.
According to the film, the rosary is “stronger than the atomic bomb.”
Why does the devil hate Mary so much? He hates her because she was never touched by sin and because she said “yes” to God while he rejected Him, and the devil cannot stand someone so pure and so filled with love. This love and her obedience to God are antithetical to his very being.
As Catholics, we have all heard that the rosary is the most powerful spiritual weapon we have. This is true, and there is a reason that, during each of the Marian apparitions, Mary encourages us to pray the rosary. When we ask for her protection and intercession and when we say her name, we send the demons fleeing. And when we regularly say the rosary and remain in a state of grace by following God’s commandments and the teachings of the Church, we protect ourselves from evil.
Invoking Mary’s help to fight evil is why we created our Marian Blue Wave—our rosary initiative that serves as a “call to Catholics across America to pray a weekly rosary with the specific intentions of ending all surgical, pill, contraceptive and IVF abortion and shutting down every Planned Parenthood facility in the United States.”
Mary is our protectress, our loving spiritual mother, and we know that she will help protect us and the vulnerable when we need it. This is why, as the Church militant, we must pray unceasingly for an end to the evil of our world, including threats to life. We will never have peace if we continue to kill babies in the womb, advocate for euthanasia, and devalue the vulnerable.
If we truly want to triumph over evil, we must work every day to eradicate it. That work starts with us and our families and extends outward. So we encourage you to see Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists today to not only become informed about what we are up against but to learn more about how to arm yourself against an evil so fiercely set on destroying families, cultures, and individual souls. Only when we recognize the reality of evil can we truly combat it.