'I am not talking about some cult, I am talking about an exorcism by the Catholic Church in Rome': Live exorcism recorded at Vatican?

'I was invited by the Vatican exorcist to shoot and video an actual exorcism...'

William Friedkin, the director of famous horror film "The Exorcist," described a time he was invited to document a real exorcism at the Vatican.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to AFP, Friedkin shared his experience at the Cannes film festival Thursday night.

"I was invited by the Vatican exorcist to shoot and video an actual exorcism which...few people have ever seen and which nobody has ever photographed."

Friedkin explained his shock when he learned the actual ceremony priests must adhere to was eerily similar to that he depicted in "The Exorcist."

"I was pretty astonished by that," he admitted. "I don't think I will ever be the same having seen this astonishing thing. I'm not talking about some cult, I am talking about an exorcism by the Catholic Church in Rome."

Friedkin had read a book about a 1949 case of an American teen named Roland. Within the book, Roland was a possessed 14-year-old boy who required exorcism for release.

The book, "The Exorcist," by William Peter Blatty, inspired Friedkin to shoot "The Exorcist," but during production, Friedkin said the Catholic "archdiocese of Washington DC asked Blatty to change the gender (in the novel) so as not to draw attention to the young man."

As he read Roland's story, Friedkin began to believe more and more in the validity of the tale. "I'm convinced there was no other explanation," he stated. "I read the diaries not only of the priest involved (in the exorcism) but the doctors, the nurses and the patients at Alexian Brothers Hospital in in Saint Louis where this case was carried out.

"Everything having to do with medical science and psychiatry was attempted. This young m[a]n suffered from afflictions very similar to what's in the film, as hard [a]s that is to believe."

Friedkin later admitted the priest who exorcised Roland handed the director a diary.

"I knew that it was not a horror film," Friedkin recalled. "This was a case of exorcism."

At the Cannes, Friedkin said: "I believed the story. I made this story as a believer. I'm not Catholic, I don't go to church, I don't belong to a church or a synagogue. I do believe in the teachings of Jesus. I believe they are incredibly profound and beautiful and we know that this character existed... the supernatural aspect I leave to each person's conscience and belief system.

"I don't intend to join a church and yet what amazes me... is the fact that this man (Jesus) over 2,000 years ago preached in the desert, on street corners and in synagogues and there is no recording of his voice... yet billions of people have believed in the idea of Jesus Christ.

"There must be something in there," Friedkin stated, not incorrectly.

Though Friedkin adamantly shared his experience, a Vatican spokesman claimed they did not make "any such invitation," stating, "The Vatican does not have an exorcist."

The spokesman added: "People often confuse any Catholic initiative/organization/person with the Vatican. Perhaps this is the case here."

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