Lord Jesus Christ, you said unto your apostles,
"I leave you in peace. My peace I give to you."
Look not upon your sins but on the faith of your church,
and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom,
where you live forever and ever.
The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.
This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are they who are called to his supper.
Hello, Jacob.
Father.
Thank you for coming.
Hey, I haven't seen you in church just recently. How are you?
Not good, Father. Not good.
Hm. You're very pale. Are you ill?
I'm not the one who's sick, Father.
It's Anna.
Richard, is there something troubling you?
No, no. I'm prepared for the next trip.
Very well.
You're leaving tomorrow. That will be all.
Oh, Richard, Richard. Ah, wonderful to see you, Theo.
And you. Come, sit down.
It's been a while. Mm, yes, it has.
I see you've started early.
Oh, well... my faith is strong, my will is weak.
So, what's the background to the case?
A woman, Anna Ecklund, she has been exorcised previously.
Really? Yes.
That's why I contacted the Vatican to ask for your assistance.
You see, it's said that... when the demon returns,
its strength is seven-fold.
Were you involved in the first exorcism?
Oh, yes. I... I've known Anna since she was a child.
She came from a good church-going family.
But, at age 14, she showed symptoms of possession.
The symptoms have returned. How old is she now?
Twenty-five.
Something on your mind?
Perhaps we should just discuss business, Theo. I...
I don't want to burden you with my personal issues.
Don't be silly.
Richard, it's me.
I think I've lost my faith.
I think all priests have doubts at... at some point.
I was in Ireland recently on an assignment...
and the locals, that day...
they responded so positively to a statue weeping tears of blood.
And all I wanted to do...
I just wanted to be one of those people, you know.
Floating on that cloud of absolute faith.
But instead, I just barged my way through the crowd,
determined to prove that the statue was not divine.
But you're an investigator. It's your duty to consider all possibilities.
What I saw, Theo...
Those tears were real.
Aw...
Doesn't that reinforce your faith?
No. It just.. It just brought it all back home to me. I...
I've strayed from God.
Do you, uh...
Do you want to take this case or not?
I'm too weak.
You're much stronger than you think you are.
I have to be honest, Richard.
Knowing what you're gonna have to face while you're here...
you're gonna need all the strength that you can muster.
Why did you bring her to a convent?
What better place to fight evil than in a house of God?
When Anna first arrived,
we would bring her food that had been blessed,
and she would react very violently.
When we stopped blessing the food, she ate it.
I see. Is there any way Anna could have known of this practice?
We never did it in front of her.
There's no way she'd have known the food had been blessed.
But it's a fairly safe assumption,
given where we are, don't you think, Theo?
Perhaps.
Here we are.
Do you mind if I speak with her alone?
Well, uh... of course. We'll wait out here.
Thank you.
Anna? The slut is in here with us.
"Us"? Yes. For we are many.
Have you been reading the Bible, Anna?
Perhaps you should read your bible.
Really?
Why is that?
You speak Latin? I speak for many.
Satan is now among us.
Repeat that.
Temptation can always be repeated.
Are you seeking to tempt me?
I don't need to tempt you. You've already tasted the forbidden fruit.
How so?
You sold your soul to the hypocrites at the Vatican.
Now, you've turned your back on the Nazarene.
Our time is now.
Time for what, Anna? For you to join us.
Who is "us"? We are Legion.
Now, join us,
and together, we can overthrow His will and rule.
If you're so powerful... why are you locked in here?
Why not just overpower everyone and leave, eh?
We've spent centuries allowing humanity to believe
they've got the better of us.
But we always rise up when they least expect it.
I see. You see nothing.
All you do is think of yourself, you selfish slime!
You have no love for God! You don't care for His people!
You can never challenge us when you are so godless!
Now, don't waste any more of my time, you faithless cocksucker!
Many of the nuns have reported verbal assaults.
Anna seems to know personal things about them.
These demons will try to drive the faithful out
by bringing up personal incidents about people's pasts...
and recounting personal tragedies with perverse delight.
Have you had any experience with people allegedly possessed?
No, but with Anna,
I have no doubt she has been taken over by a diabolical entity.
Did you know Anna before she came here? I didn't.
But Father Reisinger tells me she was a God-fearing woman.
Then should an exorcism be approved, you'd allow it to take place here?
To be honest, I'm frightened by the idea.
I believe the devil will do his uttermost to seek revenge on us
should Anna be relieved of her terrible oppression.
But I also believe God's protecting hand will not fail us.
I have given my consent.
I will not withdraw it.
Father.
Thank you.
Your wife, Anna... Yeah?
Has she been assessed by a medical team, Jacob?
Yeah.
And?
They can find nothing physically wrong with her.
Has your wife seen a psychiatrist yet?
Yeah.
They want to hold her for observation.
But I know what that really means, Father.
It means that they want to have her committed.
And what do you think about that?
Well, there has to be more to it than that.
I mean, this wasn't a gradual thing. It came over her so, so suddenly.
Did your wife speak any foreign languages, Jacob?
No. She doesn't speak Latin?
No, why? I just need to ask.
Tell me about Anna.
Not about her illness. About her as a person, you know?
Where do I start?
You know, Anna is the most selfless and caring person I've ever met.
She has this incredible smile. It's really something.
I could be having... I could be having the worst day,
all doom and gloom,
but one smile from her and... it's like the sun comes out.
You see, Father...
my life doesn't make any sense unless she's in it.
Do you understand?
So, please, please bring her back to me, Father.
I'm gonna try, Jacob.
Anna.
Anna, did you do this to yourself?
Anna, talk to me. Did you do this to yourself?
The devil is here!
Let me try.
Please, we just want to help you.
No one can help you now.
What on earth is going on?
Let me try. Help me, come on.
What?
What language is this?
It's Latin.
Do you understand what she's saying?
Yes.
What did she say?
The first was, "Fear the priest."
And the second?
She said, "Let the bitch die."
You're destroying my garden. I'm not.
You are destroying my garden. I'm not.
You're bringing all of my flowers into the house.
They make it look beautiful. They make the house look beautiful.
They make the garden look-- Are you filming us? Stop filming.
Come on, man. Stop following us around with your camera.
Look, this.. this is a message to any future children.
We used to have a garden of flowers.
We did not, no.
It's beautiful out here. It's beautiful inside.
Come on. I'm going inside.
Stop filming me.
Can I have a beautiful moment in our garden?
And you just.. A beautiful moment right here.
You're just ruining it, man. No, you're not.
You're ruining it. John, do you want to be involved?
Do you want to come and hang out with us?
You want to come into us? Come on.
I'm serious.
Come on, John, you know you want to be part of this.
Are you hungry? Are you..
Laura. Yes.
I'm Father.. I know who you are.
My aunt said it's probably best if I don't speak with you.
You know I've come to talk about Anna, then.
Yes, I know.
Look...
You do realize that they're not gonna hospitalize
your friend this time, don't you?
I'm just... I'm just looking for options here.
She's my best friend, okay? I want what's best for her.
They're gonna lock her away in an asylum, Laura.
Do you want that for your best friend? No, I don't want that.
I want her to get better. I miss her a lot.
I know.
Just a few questions and I'll be on my way, okay?
Okay.
Is there anything that's...
that's happened to Anna during the times that you spent with her?
You know, maybe it seems...
...unusual?
What do you mean by "unusual"?
I don't know. Anything that seemed strange or maybe...
...different.
Look, I just don't think I should be talking to you about this, okay?
Okay.
Wait!
Okay, there's one thing.
Um, it was a few years ago, but I bought this pet rabbit, right?
And I invited Anna and a few friends over to come play with it, and...
It was so little. It was always trembling all the time.
I thought there was something wrong with it or something, and...
When Anna touched it, she picked it up,
it would immediately stop trembling.
Its eyes would just glaze over like it was so content and happy.
And I remember her putting it back in its box,
and it just laid out like it was tanning itself on a beach, and...
It didn't do that with anyone. I mean, it was so responsive to her touch.
Any other experiences like that?
Okay, well...
After that incident with the rabbit,
I got it in my head that she had these powers from her hands,
like she had this healing energy.
She thought it was ridiculous, of course, but...
my mom was always in all this pain.
She had developed this S curve in her spine.
She was always miserable from it, and...
I was begging Anna to try to help her,
but, of course, she said no and laughed at me.
She didn't think she could help.
But I was relentless, and finally, she gave in.
And...
I shouldn't be telling you this.
Father, as soon as she touched my mom's spine...
and neck and hips...
her spine just straightened out.
I mean, over the course of 15 minutes.
I was the only one there, and I just saw the whole thing happen. I mean...
My jaw dropped. My mom wasn't in any pain anymore after that.
It was absolutely incredible.
Did you share that with anyone? No.
Anna begged us not to tell anyone.
I mean, I think she was scared of this gift that she had, and...
She's a religious girl, okay? She goes to church every week, and...
she didn't want people to think she was some sort of charlatan or something.
The subject Anna Ecklund has received
both a medical and psychiatric consultation.
And neither consultation reached a definitive diagnosis.
Based on the criteria set forth by the Catholic Church,
it can be determined that Anna exhibits at least 12 symptoms
associated with demonic possession.
These include cutting, scratching, and biting of skin,
an intense coldness in the room she inhabits,
unnatural body postures, and a change in her physical appearance.
According to those who know her,
she has undergone a complete personality change.
Her voice also displays signs of significant change.
She speaks in languages she has never known or studied.
Anna also exhibits unnatural physical strength
and appears to have intimate knowledge of those around her.
She also has violent reactions to all religious symbols.
The archbishop has given his approval.
Richard?
I have doubts.
There is evidence enough for an exorcism. The archbishop has said so himself.
I'm doubting myself, Theo.
God never gives us more than we can handle.
Yeah, but it becomes difficult to trust God's judgment
in a world that's full of good people who suffer.
Don't you think?
The world is full of suffering.
One cannot deny that.
But it's also full of people who... who have overcome.
Most of the world's great achievements have succeeded
because people keep on trying,
against all the odds, when there's.. when there's no hope left.
That's what the world is really about, you see?
You keep soldering on, through adversity.
The most beautiful thing in the world is hope.
Knowing that yesterday was bad, but...
but hoping that... tomorrow will be better.
I know the world is a dangerous place to live, but...
it isn't dangerous because of the people that.. that are evil.
It's because of the people who will not do anything about the evil.
Be with me at that battle, Richard.
All you will need to bring with you is hope.
On this journey, you will find yourself.
Theo...
You know, this world...
with all its war, famine...
hate...
Do we really make a difference here?
Do we really make a difference?
The church...
The church is a beacon.
You...
You are a shining beacon for people.
I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but there's something you must see.
She's sedated.
We must begin soon.
Time is running out.
I know it's been a while.
I'm sorry about that.
I've strayed from the path.
But I thank you, God, for still being there for me
and allowing me to come to you in my time of need.
God, there are things happening around me right now that I...
I just don't understand.
Some of these things make me feel weak, helpless, afraid.
My heart is troubled, Lord.
But I will strive to keep it set on you,
as your infinite wisdom will show me the right way
to adjust and right resolution here.
Even in the midst of all this...
I know you are the Lord.
I know.
And I know this situation is in your hands.
I know I need to trust in you again.
I ask for strength and wisdom to help me endure the battles which lay ahead, Lord.
Please allow me to handle what I must face in...
in a way that would only bring glory to your name.
Amen.
It's time.
Okay.
You fucking faithless cocksucker!
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Save me, oh, God. By Thy name, by Thy might, defend my cause.
Proud men have risen up against me. Men of violence seek my life.
But God is my helper.
The Lord sustains my life, and every need He has delivered to me.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and forever shall be world without end.
Amen.
Oh, Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto Thee.
Save your servant who places her trust in Thee, my God.
Be unto her, oh, Lord, a fortified tower in the face of the enemy.
Let the enemy have no power over her
and the son of iniquity be powerless to harm her.
Oh, Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto Thee.
The Lord be with you and all of us.
Fuck me, you dirty fucking pond scum!
You suck it, fucker!
Oh, mighty Father,
everlasting God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
who, once and for all, consigned that fallen tyrant
to the flames of hell,
who sent your only begotten Son into the world to crush that roaring lion.
Hasten to our call for help and snatch from ruination
and from the clutches of the noonday devil
this human being made in your image and your likeness.
Strike terror, Lord, into the beast, now laying waste your vineyard.
Let your mighty hand cast him out of your servant, Anna Ecklund,
so he may no longer hold captive this person
whom it pleased to make in your image
and to redeem through your Son,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit and of the Father.
Amen.
Oh, Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come unto Thee.
Lord of all creation, who gave your holy apostles the power
to trample serpents and scorpions underfoot.
Stop, you fucking bastard!
See the cross of the Lord. Be gone, you hostile power.
By this sign of the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
You want to fuck me, don't you?
Fuck me. Fuck me!
I cast you out, unclean spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
It was He who commands you...
Suck his cock, you shit-eating scumbag!
...to the depths of hell.
Be gone! Fuck him! Fuck him up the ass!
Be gone from this creature of God!
Faith is fucking vermin!
Be gone, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
By this sign of the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
You abandoned your parents.
They died alone while you served your porcelain God!
Do not listen to her!
You selfish fucking bitch!
They died screaming!
Defender of the human race, save your servant!
This sow will die!
I command you by the judge of the living dead
to depart from this servant of God.
It is the power of Christ that commands you.
He brought you low by His blood-stained cross.
Do not despise my commands because you know me to be a sinner.
It is God Himself who commands you!
The blood of the martyrs commands you!
Give way to Christ, you prince of murderers!
You're guilty before almighty God,
guilty before His Son, guilty before the whole human race!
It is the Lord who expels you!
He who's coming to judge both the living and the dead
and the world by fire!
He casts you out!
Anna, is that you?
Father?
Thank the Lord.
How are you feeling? A lot better.
Does your head hurt? A little.
This one's quite sore.
Just, um, give me a minute, okay? Okay.
Father...
thank you.
Thank you so much.
How can I ever repay you, Father?
It wasn't just me, Jacob. We all helped Anna.
Whatever you did, it was incredible.
How is she? She's...
She's great. Does she remember anything?
No, nothing.
Nothing? Nothing at all, Father. I'm sorry.
It's a good thing. It is.
Good.
Thank you.
Are you all right, Sister?
What's wrong? I feel terrible.
I think I'm gonna throw up.
Yeah. I'm burning up, too.
Hello, Anna.
How are you?
Much better. Good.
Do you, uh... Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
Sure.
I'm Father Richard Lamont, by the way.
I know. Jacob told me.
Did your husband tell you about anything that's happened?
Only that I've been sick.
He told me you and Father Reisinger helped me, though.
Thank you, Father. Oh, it's no problem.
You can call me Richard, by the way.
Or Rick. Okay.
Or Ricky.
Call me Richard.
Look, uh, do you remember anything about being sick?
No.
'Cause I know you were ill like this before, during your teenage years.
Do you remember that?
No. It's like I've lost gaps in time.
Yeah, tell me about it. We all do.
My memory's not the same as it was, let me tell you that.
Do you have any special abilities, Anna?
What do you mean? Any skills out of the ordinary? Maybe...
Maybe something that you've shared with other people
and they don't understand.
I don't think so.
I spoke with your friend Laura.
She told me how you helped her mother.
I asked her not to say anything.
Why?
Helping someone is a wonderful thing, Anna.
I don't know. I just... I don't want anyone to know.
I don't want the attention.
Everything you tell me will be treated in the strictest confidence, okay?
I worry the church will not approve.
You don't have to worry about the church.
This conversation will remain between us. No problem, okay?
Okay. Thank you.
Do you remember when you realized you had that ability?
When I was a teenager.
Did anybody know about that? No.
Being able to do things like that scares me.
Why?
Because it makes me different.
It's okay to be different sometimes, Anna. You know? We all have our own destiny.
It just takes time for us to accept, that's all.
I don't know. The church forbids us to believe in things like that.
Yes.
Well, then, maybe it's time for us to be more open-minded.
Sister Abigail and Sister Madeline have reported sickness. They're very ill.
And how are you feeling? I'm fine.
Well, it's been a very... a very stressful experience.
Perhaps it's a... a delayed shock.
So... how are you feeling, Richard?
I'm just sitting here thinking, Theo.
You saw the statue during the exorcism, didn't you?
Yes.
It's the same one I saw in Ireland. I mentioned it. Do you remember?
The one weeping tears of blood?
I remember.
In Ireland, one of the locals claimed to have received two significant messages
whilst praying at the statue.
What were they?
The first was, "Satan is now among us."
And the other?
The second...
I remember it well. I've thought about it a lot.
"Out of the thorns will come a rose who will deliver us from Satan
by the blood of the Lamb."
Do you think this is some sort of prophecy?
Maybe. I spoke to one of Anna's friends.
She mentioned a couple of significant incidents.
I've spoken to Anna about them.
What kind of, uh... What kind of incidents?
Well, Anna has this...
I don't know how to put this.
Anna has the ability to heal, Theo.
Do you believe in that sort of thing? Well, I'm skeptical. You?
My skepticism is fading.
But what's the significance of this?
Well, you've heard of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, right?
The Jesuit priest. Yes.
Chardin conceived the idea that evolution was progressing to a goal,
the maximum level of complexity and consciousness called the Omega Point.
Chardin believed that those with the dual powers,
powers of a psychic and healing nature, had a spiritual gift also,
which will one day be shared by the whole of humanity
in a kind of global consciousness.
Look, what has this got to do with Anna?
I don't believe she was randomly chosen. No.
Chardin's works came to mind
because he believed that those with the dual gifts,
those who are the greater good, Theo,
they attract the greatest evil.
If de Chardin theorized the world is moving towards a new consciousness
led by those who have the special gifts,
then evil will go to extraordinary lengths to hinder
and even kill those capable of leading that movement.
For evil to prosper, Theo, the world must be in a negative state of being.
The gifts of the greater good...
they face the ultimate test
when they go head to head with the greatest evil.
Are you all right, Sister?
God is not with us anymore.
What the hell is going on here?
It wasn't just one demon inside Anna. There were many.
When we cast them out, they found new hosts.
We should call the police. We should deal with them ourselves.
Deal with them ourselves? Another exorcism?
The real key to all this, Jacob...
it's you, Anna.
Me? Yes.
You know about the origin of the Passover, don't you?
Yeah.
You remember in the Book of Exodus when the Hebrews took the lamb's blood
and smeared it over the doorframes to protect their houses
from-- from the last plague?
Yeah. Yeah. Do you remember that?
It was the foretelling of the coming of Christ.
And we all know that Jesus was known as the Lamb of God.
Why are you telling me this?
Because, Anna, to the evil out there...
you are the Lamb.
You're the protector of all that's good.
What the hell are you talking about? This is my wife!
Please, Jacob! Please.
It's gonna be okay.
Okay? You're all right.
How did you know that would work? I just knew.
That's why you're the key.
All you have to do is accept your destiny.
Anna, it's time to fulfill your destiny.
Father, just leave her alone. It's okay, Jacob.
I know what I'm supposed to do now. I'm not frightened anymore.
I'll stand with you.
All three of us will stand together.
Our Father who art in heaven...
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..
It is accomplished.