The Rite

Written with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, The Rite is a uniquely intimate glimpse into the chilling world of a real-life Roman Catholic exorcist. Father Gary Thomas was working as a parish priest in California when church leaders asked him to travel to Rome for training in the rite of exorcism. In Rome, as an apprentice to a veteran Italian exorcist, his eyes were opened to a side of the Catholic faith he had never known, and he came to see the battle between good and evil in a whole new light. Journalist Matt Baglio has full access to Father Gary over the course of his training, and the astonishing story he found reveals that the phenomena of possession, demons, the Devil, and exorcism are not merely a remnant of the archaic past, but remain a fearsome power in many people's lives even today. Book jacket.

MATT BAGLIO, a reporter living in Rome, has written for the Associated Press and the International Herald Tribune.