Some call it “spiritual warfare.” We call it centuries of trauma reenactments performed by bad cosplayers with holy water. The catholic church has been staging exorcisms since 1614 — turning mental illness, grief, and hysteria into holy horror shows for the masses. 

In this episode, we dig into the church’s obsession with exorcism, from Emma Schmidt and Roland Doe to Clara Germana Cele — the so-called “true stories” that inspired The Exorcist. We unravel how priests, nuns, and the Vatican mistook trauma for demons, weaponized fear for faith, and built a billion-dollar horror franchise in the process.  You’ll learn about:

• The Vatican’s exorcism playbook (and its surprisingly recent “Don’t Touch the Children” rule)
• How Catholic exorcisms blurred the line between ritual and abuse
• The twisted legacy of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist
• The International Association of Exorcists (yes, that’s a real thing)

🎧 Part two of our mini-series on The Exorcist — next episode we’re diving into the Protestant flavor of possession panic.

Satan Is My Superhero brings you irreverent, fast-paced satire on religion, conspiracy theories, and cultural myths. Listen, laugh, and learn as we expose the ridiculous and the dangerous with comedy, history, and blasphemy. 

Got a question, rant, or heretical thought? Email us at [email protected] — we might feature it in a future episode. 

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