Anneliese Michel: Difference between revisions
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==Exorcism and death== |
==Exorcism and death== |
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In 1975, 22-year-old Anneliese went on a pilgrimage with a good friend of the family, Thea Hein, who organized regularly such pilgrimages to by the church not officially recognized "holy places". |
In 1975, 22-year-old Anneliese went on a pilgrimage with a good friend of the family, Thea Hein, who organized regularly such pilgrimages to by the church not officially recognized "holy places". Because Anneliese was unable to walk past a certain [[icon]] of [[Jesus Christ]] and refused to drink the water of a holy spring, her escort, concluded that she was suffering from [[demonic possession]].<ref name="Washington Post" />. Thea Hein, convinced that Anneliese Michels was possesed by demons and that the "doctors story about epilepsy" was ridiculous, searched for a priest to perform an exorcism. Most priests told her that Anneliese should see a doctor. Eventually she came across vicar Franz Alt in the nearby town Aschaffenburg, who after seeing Anneliese Michels found, that he didn't see Anneliese having seizures and she doesn't "look like an epileptic" in contrary to the medical opinion of the doctors<ref>Interviews in "Satan lebt - Die Rückkehr des Exorzismus", 2006, wdr, Documentation by Helge Cramer.</ref>. He believed she was suffering from demonic possession.<ref name="Washington Post" /> Franz Alt urged the [[bishop]] to issue a permission to perform exorcism. Bishop Joseph Stangl issued the permission for an actual rite of exorcism according to the ''[[Roman Ritual|Rituale Romanum of 1614]]''<ref name="Washington Post" /> in september 1975, to pater Renz. |
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At some time, they stopped medical treatment, putting her faith solely in the hands of two priests performing exorcisms.<ref name="Washington Post" /> The rites of exorcism were performed over the course of about ten months between 1975 and 1976. A total of sixty-seven exorcism sessions were held, one or two each week, some lasting up to four hours. <ref name="Washington Post" /> At some point she began talking increasingly about dying to atone for the wayward youth of the day and the [[apostate]] priests of the modern church, and refused to eat. Though she had received treatment for epilepsy by this time, at her own request, doctors were no longer being consulted<ref name="Washington Post" /> after Anneliese mentioned the "demons" to the doctors, explaining that they started to give her orders.<ref name="Osmosis Publishing-Anneliese Michel"/> The doctors seemed unable to help, and Anneliese lost hope that medicine was going to be able to cure her of her problems.<ref name="Osmosis Publishing-Anneliese Michel"/> |
At some time, they stopped medical treatment, putting her faith solely in the hands of two priests performing exorcisms.<ref name="Washington Post" /> The rites of exorcism were performed over the course of about ten months between 1975 and 1976. A total of sixty-seven exorcism sessions were held, one or two each week, some lasting up to four hours. <ref name="Washington Post" /> At some point she began talking increasingly about dying to atone for the wayward youth of the day and the [[apostate]] priests of the modern church, and refused to eat. Though she had received treatment for epilepsy by this time, at her own request, doctors were no longer being consulted<ref name="Washington Post" /> after Anneliese mentioned the "demons" to the doctors, explaining that they started to give her orders.<ref name="Osmosis Publishing-Anneliese Michel"/> The doctors seemed unable to help, and Anneliese lost hope that medicine was going to be able to cure her of her problems.<ref name="Osmosis Publishing-Anneliese Michel"/> |
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Revision as of 06:57, 27 February 2011
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Anneliese Michel | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 21, 1952 |
| Died | July 1, 1976 (aged 23) |
| Cause of death | Starvation and dehydration. |
| Resting place | Klingenberg am Main, Bavaria |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Supposed demonic possession, death after exorcism. |
Anneliese Michel (September 21, 1952 – July 1, 1976) was a German Catholic woman who was said to be possessed by demons and subsequently underwent an exorcism. Two motion pictures, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Requiem, are loosely based on Michel's story.
Early life
Anneliese Michel was born on September 21, 1952 in Leiblfing, Bavaria, Germany. Michel was raised in an observant Catholic family. Reportedly a devout girl, she tried to make reparations for the sins of wayward priests and drug addicts by sleeping on a bare floor during the dead of winter.[1]
In 1968, when Anneliese was 16 and still in high school, she began to suffer from convulsions. Court findings had her experiencing her first epileptic attack in 1969.[2]
Soon, Anneliese started experiencing hallucinations while praying, and also began to hear voices telling her that she was "Damned".[1] By 1973 Anneliese was suffering from depression and considering suicide.[2] Her behavior became increasingly bizarre; she tore off her clothes, ate coal and spiders off the floor, and licked up her own urine.[2]
Exorcism and death
In 1975, 22-year-old Anneliese went on a pilgrimage with a good friend of the family, Thea Hein, who organized regularly such pilgrimages to by the church not officially recognized "holy places". Because Anneliese was unable to walk past a certain icon of Jesus Christ and refused to drink the water of a holy spring, her escort, concluded that she was suffering from demonic possession.[2]. Thea Hein, convinced that Anneliese Michels was possesed by demons and that the "doctors story about epilepsy" was ridiculous, searched for a priest to perform an exorcism. Most priests told her that Anneliese should see a doctor. Eventually she came across vicar Franz Alt in the nearby town Aschaffenburg, who after seeing Anneliese Michels found, that he didn't see Anneliese having seizures and she doesn't "look like an epileptic" in contrary to the medical opinion of the doctors[3]. He believed she was suffering from demonic possession.[2] Franz Alt urged the bishop to issue a permission to perform exorcism. Bishop Joseph Stangl issued the permission for an actual rite of exorcism according to the Rituale Romanum of 1614[2] in september 1975, to pater Renz.
At some time, they stopped medical treatment, putting her faith solely in the hands of two priests performing exorcisms.[2] The rites of exorcism were performed over the course of about ten months between 1975 and 1976. A total of sixty-seven exorcism sessions were held, one or two each week, some lasting up to four hours. [2] At some point she began talking increasingly about dying to atone for the wayward youth of the day and the apostate priests of the modern church, and refused to eat. Though she had received treatment for epilepsy by this time, at her own request, doctors were no longer being consulted[2] after Anneliese mentioned the "demons" to the doctors, explaining that they started to give her orders.[1] The doctors seemed unable to help, and Anneliese lost hope that medicine was going to be able to cure her of her problems.[1]
On July 1, 1976, Anneliese Michel died in her sleep. The autopsy report stated that her death resulted from malnutrition and dehydration due to almost a year of semi-starvation during which time the rites of exorcism were also performed. [4] She weighed only 68 pounds (30.91 kilograms).
Prosecution
In 1976, the state charged Anneliese's parents and two priests, Father Ernst Alt and Father Arnold Renz, with neglectful homicide.[5] During the case Anneliese's body was exhumed and tapes were played to the court of the exorcisms over the eleven months leading to her death.[5][6] The parents were defended by Erich Schmidt-Leichner, a lawyer who had defended a large number of Nazi war criminals in the Nuremberg Trials.[5] The state asked that no involved parties be jailed; instead the recommended sentence for the priests was a fine. The prosecution asked that the parents be recused from punishment as they had "suffered enough". [5]
Legacy
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is loosely based on her story.
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d "The Real Emily Rose". Osmosis. Retrieved 2009–05–27.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Hansen, Eric T. (September 4, 2005). "What in God's Name?!". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009–05–27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Interviews in "Satan lebt - Die Rückkehr des Exorzismus", 2006, wdr, Documentation by Helge Cramer.
- ^ "Religion: A Phenomenon of Fear". Time. 06 September 1976. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Michael Getler (April 21, 1978). "Cries of a Woman Possessed; German Court Hears Tapes in Exorcism Death Trial". The Washington Post.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ JANE FRYER (December 8, 2005). "SATAN'S SCHOOLGIRL; special report / Convinced she was possessed by the Devil, this girl's mother called in a team of exorcists. When she died in agony her parents were both charged with killing her. But who was really to blame for the tragedy?". Daily Mail.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help)
Sources
- Goodman, Felicitas D. (1988). How about Demons?: Possession and Exorcism in the Modern World. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-32856-X.
- Goodman, Felicitas D. (1981) The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. Eugene: Resource Publications. ISBN 1-59752-432-8.
- Getler, Micheal. "Cries of a Woman Possessed : German Court Hears Tapes in Exorcism Death Trial" in The Washington Post (April 21, 1978)