On Satan’s trail with Don Gabriele, the world’s most famous exorcist

“Angels exist, and how, but they are not as depicted in art – they are pure spirit. We all have guardian angels. Demons are, of course, fallen angels who rebelled against God; that is why they are so intelligent, and so arrogant.” He does not believe in ghosts, which are “an invention of the human mind”. Father Amorth has no designated successor, and complains that even now the Church hierarchy does not take exorcism – or the Devil – seriously enough. But “the Lord has made use of me” and his example has inspired many other priests – as did the 1973 film The Exorcist, which although “exaggerated” was “substantially true”.