Exorcism

An exorcism is the practice upon which an individual utilizes an exacting process to drive a malevolent essence, be it a spirit or a demon from the physical body of an individual that it is possessing and banishes it back to it's place of origin. Most commonly, this is a practice utilized by the Catholic Church and is often referred to as the Rites of Exorcism. The process by which the Rites are conducted have varied within the film and television medium, but they usually share some common traits between them. The conductor of the exorcism is usually a priest and is often attended by another priest to serve as back-up. The target is safely secured in such a fashion so that it cannot harm itself or others. The priests, dressed in full raiment, recite the liturgy while holding up a symbol of their faith, usually a crucifix. This may also be complimented by annointing the affected subject with holy water.