Did the devil make them do it? UPDATE

UPDATE: John Allen over at NCR reports that the Vatican denies any involvement [1] in "The Exorcist Files." That's a relief. I figured someone was definitely not in their right mind, though I didn't think they were possessed.

I didn't know Satan was a publicity hound, but he may get a lot of exposure if the Discovery Channel airs "The Exorcist Files," which, according to EW.com via CNN [2], will recreate possible cases of demonic possession investigated by the Vatican--reportedly with the Vatican's cooperation.

Wait a sec: Does anyone else think this is kind of a bad idea? I mean, bracketing whether you think demons actually possess people and things, I'm just not sure this is the face of Catholicism I want out there. And even if you believe in the possession thing, doesn't this trivialize it a bit?

I'm not really feeling the renewed interest in exorcism, though many bishops and priests attended an "exorcism conference" [3] just before the last bishops' meeting. At the same time, I am intrigued enough to commission an article on the sudden newfound interest in demonic possession and/or demonic expulsion. I just don't think it's really at the heart of what it means to be Christian. (Yes, yes, I know Jesus cast out demons, but I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing here...)