# What does an exorcist do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-an-exorcist-do/87004 "2001-10-12T07:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RAWisSYDNEY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@RAWisSYDNEY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWisSYDNEY)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-an-exorcist-do/87004/1 "2001-10-12T07:27:33Z")
Ok, let me be a little less blunt. At school we were discussing Scary Movie 2 and yada yada yada we dont know the word for what an exorcist does it. I say that they Exorcise someone, but others say they dont. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-an-exorcist-do/87004/2 "2001-10-12T07:33:21Z")
IANAExorcist, but I believe you _exorcise_ the demons from someone or _perform an exorcism_ on someone who is possessed. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-an-exorcist-do/87004/3 "2001-10-12T13:04:53Z")
A friend of mine in college had an exorcism done to drive the influence of Satan out of her unborn child. Her husband had become convinced that she was going to bear the antichrist, and after a great deal of counseling and discussion with their minister, they went for the ceremony as the best way to deal with it. He didn’t think the ceremony worked, and divorced her. Afterwards, she was talking to her minister, and he asked what she was thinking of naming the kid. Her answer? Damien.