She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments. She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering. Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land. She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite. Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day. - Proverbs 31:21-25
St. Anne is the mother of Mary, and grandmother of Jesus. To be honest, I have never actually had a much of a devotion to St. Anne but today is her feast day which leads me to ask:
Why is St. Anne so important?
A few years ago I might have said that St. Anne was important because she was the mother of Mary - and not been impressed. Because, at that time in my life, I felt a little sorry for women who seemed to lose themselves in their children.
And I very much wanted to be "more than a mother."
Today, of course, I would be happy to go back and "just" be that. But this post isn't about me, or at least not only about me. It's about women and mothers why the enemy seems so determined to destroy us.
Back to the Garden
And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death. For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods... - Genesis 3:4-5
I saw a headstone once in the cemetery where many of the members of my family are buried. Beloved Wife, it said on the front. And then on the back, engraved so lightly I almost missed it:
"And where Eve was, there was Eden."
How beautiful, I thought then. But now I think, how true.
As woman, we have the power to create or destroy our homes - practically, emotionally and spiritually. Which is probably why God did not want Israelite men to marry foreign (pagan) women.
It is also, in my opinion, why Satan has targeted women - going all the way back to the beginning.
The lie Satan told Eve was the lie that brought down a third of God's holy angels - a false promise that has been made over and over again by the occult, and the New Age, and the society we live in.
And it keeps right on repeating, telling us we can attain wisdom and enlightenment by exalting ourselves - and that freedom from authority is the key to our glory.
A Modern Application
He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. - John 8:44
The promise Satan made to Eve is a lie. But it is persistent.
In modern society, the lie is shored up by things like abortion and divorce and the proliferation of single parent families - and all of this is destructive. I know that first-hand because I got divorced when my youngest son was two and went on to head a single parent family. Sadly, in many ways, my children have paid the price.
And they are not alone.
In a 2014 article by Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Jane Anderson cites multiple studies which identify the following challenges in children whose parents divorce:
- Lost time with each parent
- Decreased economic security
- Lose of emotional security
- Decreased social and psychological maturation
- Changes in outlook on sexual behavior
- Loss of religious faith and practice (Myers 1996)
- Decreased cognitive and academic stimulation
- Diminished physical health
- Increased risk of emotional distress
There are clearly negative long-term consequences of divorce—children, parents, and society all suffer. Wallerstein's long-term study shows that many children never have full “recovery” as each special event, holiday, or celebration reminds the child of his/her loss. Given these tremendous costs borne by all individuals affected by divorce, as well as the costs to society, it is the responsibility of physicians—especially pediatricians, who care for children in the context of their families—to advocate for public health policies that promote marriage and decrease the likelihood of divorce. - Dr. Jane Anderson, MD
So marriage and traditional approach to family is important. But what about St. Anne?
Interestingly, even though I am now a very different person, my opinion about St. Anne hasn't really changed. I still think that St. Anne is important because she was a wife and a mother. But I no longer see that as limiting.
Instead, I understand that motherhood is the best part of God's plan for us and that therein lies grace.
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- To read Dr. Anderson's article in full please see The Impact of Family Structure on the Health of Children: Effects of Divorce at the National Library of Medicine website.
- For more on this topic, please see my video on Toxic Feminism. Or Listen to the audio via the podcast player below.
Russell Crowe in the Pope's Exorcist
Russell Crowe (of Gladiator fame) is an unlikely Fr. Gabriel Amorth. But he portray Fr. Amorth in the newly released film, "The Pope's Exorcist" anyway.
The late Fr. Amorth was chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome and the founder of International Association of Exorcists. He wrote a number of wonderful books and I have read all of them. In other words, I'm a huge fan. So I was prepared to hate Crowe's portrayal of the saintly Fr. Amorth. But I actually didn't.
In my opinion, Crowe did a good job overall. He made the occasional joke (as did the real Fr. Amorth) and, to my untrained ear, his Italian accent (and Latin) was good. He did not try to be Fr. Amorth but he did try to build a likable character and I think he succeeded.
Anti-Catholic Elements in the Film
My main concern about the film was not that it would be badly acted but that it would be strongly anti-Catholic, in the way of some other movies (like Prey for the Devil). And I wasn't the only the only one who expressed that concern
Prior to the release of the film, the International Association of Exorcists made this observation on the trailer for "The Pope's Exorcist:"
...the Vatican environments, painted with the usual proven range of chiaroscuro colors, give the film a "Da Vinci Code" effect, for instill in the public the usual doubt: who is the real enemy? The devil or the ecclesiastical "power"? - Comunicato Stampa / Press Release – About the trailer for the film: “The Pope's Exorcist” (The International Association of Exorcists)
There WAS a Vatican conspiracy storyline in the film, as I discuss in my podcast episode, below. But it was focused mostly on the past. Also, as part of the larger plot of the movie, some clergy opposed Fr. Amorth because they didn't believe in evil spirits (or even necessarily evil). But the movie did not suggest that these clergy were the majority.
While the trailer for "The Pope's Exorcist" did seem to suggest a very strong anti-Vatican conspiracy, it turned out to be a relatively minor plot point. The actual movie, in my opinion, was not wildly anti-Catholic. And I suspect that if any of the members of the International Association of Exorcists watch it, they will probably agree.
But they were right about the special effects.
The Problem with Special Effects
We conclude these brief considerations with a reference to the so-called "special effects" , inevitable in every film dedicated to the theme of diabolical possession. As has already happened in other films, everything is exaggerated, with striking physical and verbal manifestations, typical of horror films. Now, this way of narrating Don Amorth's exorcistic experience, in addition to being contrary to historical reality, distorts and falsifies what is truly lived and experienced during the exorcism of truly possessed people whom we, Catholic exorcists, celebrate according to the directives given by the Church. In addition, he is offensive towards the state of suffering in which those who are victims of an extraordinary action of the devil find themselves. - Comunicato Stampa / Press Release – About the trailer for the film: “The Pope's Exorcist” (The International Association of Exorcists)
Sadly, this seems to be what the public wants or what Hollywood thinks it wants. The biggest problem I have with this type of film is that it portrays the devil not necessarily as more powerful than he is in fact, but as far less subtle.
There is a real danger in believing that Satan is obvious or clumsy - which we will discuss this in future posts.
In summary, I did not hate "The Pope's Exorcist" and wouldn't tell anyone (over 18 and not triggered by cursing and violence) that they shouldn't watch it. But I would encourage them to read what the real Fr. Amorth had to say about Satan.
To listen to my full review on the movie including some discussion of the sacramental of exorcism please check out the podcast below or find my podcast "New Age To Catholic" on most popular podcast apps.
Or, if you prefer, you can watch video episode of the podcast below (and follow my channel YouTube.com/c/barbaragraver if so inclined):
- To read two of my favorite books by Fr. Amorth, please check out An Exorcist Explains the Demonic or Father Amorth: My Battle Against Satan (affiliate links).
- To read the original statement by the International Society of Exorcists or support it in its very important work please visit their website (there is an English option for this particular page).
- If you speak Italian, you can watch the documentary the Association discusses in their press release here.
- You can read my review of Prey for the Devil here
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Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. This means that, if you purchase through one my links, I may receive a small commission at not cost to you.
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