When documentary maker and activist Nik Jovčić-Sas agreed to undergo an exorcism to purge the “demons” that made him gay, he took a step into the unknown. All he knew about the ritual, carried out in a remote monastery in the mountains of Moldova, was that it involved a knife. [...]
Eventually the documentary maker discovered queer-affirming theologians who helped him reconcile his sexual orientation with Christian scripture. He went on to create his own YouTube channel, Orthodox Provocateur, to tell other LGBTQ believers that they also didn’t have to choose between faith and falling in love. [...]
“Orthodox Christianity has seen a growth in popularity in the past 20 years, but unfortunately this resurgence is often more grounded in cheap ritualism and nationalist politics than genuine faith or devotion to Christ,” he says. “The increase of exorcisms in eastern Europe is a symptom of that. What makes me most upset is the way that these rituals prey on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. These exorcisms need to be a thing of the past — they have no place in the modern world.”
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