Story that Inspired the Exorcism of Emily Rose

The Exorcism of Annelise Michel:

In 1968 is where it all began for Anneliese Michel (a very religious nurtured girl, who was born on the 21st of September 1952) . Paralyzed and shaking she couldn’t call her 3 sisters or her parents (Josef and Anna) for help. A neurologist at the Psychiatric Clinic Wurzburg diagnosed he with epilepsy type "Grand Mal". Depression, can often occurring after those types of epilepsy attacks, which was not recognized.After a long stay at the hospital, she begins to see devilish grimaces during her daily praying. In the fall of 1970 Anneliese returned to school, and while other girls were living the freedom of the 70s, she starts believing she is possessed. She can’t find another reason for the grimaces. Now also voices are following her, saying that Anneliese will stew in hell.

The depressions get stronger and stronger and Anneliese doesn’t see any reason for the meetings at the doctors, because they don’t bring her any relief. Just once, does she tell a doctor about the "Demons", which begin to give orders to her now. But the gap between known medicine and Catholic Ideology is too big to get her problems considered.In the summer of 1973 her parents ask the pastors for an exorcism.

The Catholic Chaplain’s reject their request and recommend to continue the medication on the now 20 year old Anneliese. The proof for a possession (Infestatio) is strictly structured, and only before all criteria’s fulfilled can the Bishop approve an exorcism. Some of criteria’s are: Aversions against religious objects, speaking in languages the person never learned and supernatural powers, are just some of them.Pastor Ernst Alt, who was supervising Anneliese at that time, asked the Bishop of Wurzburg for the permission to perform an exorcism on Anneliese Michel in 1974. His request was also rejected, so he recommends Anneliese an even more religious lifestyle. But the attacks don’t disappear. At her parent’s house in Klingenberg, she insults, beats, and bites the family members. She doesn’t eat, because the demons don’t allow her to. Anneliese sleeps on a stone floor, eats spiders, flies and coal. She even drinks her own urine, and for hours, she yells through the house. Anneliese also breaks crucifixes, destroys paintings of Jesus and demolishes rosaries. Running through the house, tearing the clothes from her body and urinating on the floor is nothing unusual anymore. She even commits self-mutilation.

In September 1975, after an exact verification, the Bishop of Wurzburg, Josef Stangl, assigns Father Arnold Renz and Pastor Ernst Alt with the order, to perform "The Great Exorcism" on Anneliese Michel. The basis for this ritual is the "Rituale Romanum", a still valid Canon Law from the 17th century. Pastor Alt and Father Renz try to save Anneliese from over 6 individuals (Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler and Fleischmann, a disgraced Frankish Priest from the 16th century, and some other "Damned"), which manifested through her. From September ‘75 till July ‘76, 1 to 2 sessions a week were held. Sometimes her attacks were so strong, that she had to be held down by 3 men, or they had to chain her up. Between those sessions in her parent’s house, Anneliese did have some days when she was without any attacks, in which she goes to school, makes her final examinations at the Pedagogic Academy in Wurzburg and going to church. Just like she used to do, before all this happened.But the attacks didn’t stop.

The young woman experiences being unconscious and paralyzed more and more. The exorcism continues over weeks and months. Always praying the same specified prayers and incantations, over and over again. Sometimes the parents are present, or her sisters. Even a married couple, that claims of having "discovered" Anneliese.

Over several weeks, she denies every food. Her knees are tore up because of the 600 Genuflections she does obsessively during the Exorcisms. During the Exorcism there were over 40 audiotapes recorded, to log the possession.The last day of the Exorcism Rite is the 30th of June 1976. Anneliese is now also suffering from pneumonia, totally emaciated and having high temperature. But she can’t waiver during the Genuflections. Her parents even help her doing them. "Beg for Absolution,", is the last sentence Anneliese says to the Exorcists. To her mother she says: "Mother, I’m afraid.". Anna Michel recorded the death of her daughter on the next day, the 1st of July 1976. At noon, Pastor Ernst Alt informs the prosecuting authorities in Aschaffenburg. The senior prosecutor began investigating.Short time before these events, William Friedkin’s "The Exorcist" is released into cinemas in Germany (1974), and starts a paranormal hysteria all over the land. Psychiatrist all over Europe, reported of an increase of obsessive ideas at their patients. For the Prosecutors, the factual situation is more than bizarre. And it took almost 2 years, until the "Klingenberg Case" was brought to court. Anneliese’s parents and the 2 Exorcists were accused of negligent homicide. There were only 2 questions to answer. What caused the death of Anneliese Michel, and who was responsible?The cause of death, as diagnosed as: "Anneliese starved to death!" If the accused would have begun to forced feed her, one-week before she died.. Anneliese’s life could have been saved. Her sister told in front of the court, that Anneliese didn’t want to go to a Mental House, sedated and forced to eat. The Exorcists tried to prove the presence of the demons, by playing the tapes they recorded. There were such strange dialogues, like 2 of the demons arguing , which one of them had to leave Anneliese’s body first. The demon, that called himself Hitler, talked with Frankish Accent (Hitler was born Austrian). None of those present during the Exorcisms, never had a doubt, that this were not demons.The psychiatrists, who have been ordered by the court, talked about "Doctrinaire Induction." Saying, that the priests have offered Anneliese the contents of her psychotic behavior. Consequentially she later accepted the behavior of a demon possessed person.

Also an unsettled sexual development, along with the diagnosed Temporal Lobe Epilepsy influenced Anneliese’s Psychosis.The judgement was, although the parents and the chaplains were guilty, was not as hard as it was expected. All of the accused were sentenced to 6 months jail and probation, because of manslaughter resulting from negligence and omitted first aid. The accused should have helped by taking care of the medical treatment the girl needed. But instead of doing so they aggravated the bad constitution, by using naive practices.A Commission of the German Bishop-Conference later declared, that Anneliese Michel was not possessed. Anneliese’s body didn’t even find peace after the girls’ death. Because of some believe in miracles, it was said that her body doesn’t decay, her corpse gets exhumed 1 1/2 year after the burial. With the final result, that the body decays, as every other dead body. Till now her grave is a place of pilgrimage, for rosary-praying pilgrims, who still think, that Anneliese Michel had defeated the Devil.

In 1999 Cardinal Medina Estevez presented Journalists, in Vatican-City, the new Version of the "Rituale Romanum" that was used by the Catholic Church since 1614. He presented them "De exorcismis et supplicationibus quibusdam" better know as "The Exorcism for the upcoming Millennium". After more then 10 years of editing, the Pope approbated the new Exorcism Rite, which is now allowed for worldwide usage. The change was initiated by the death of Anneliese Michel. The German Bishop-Conference demanded to ultimately abolish the "Rituale Romanum." The Vatican answered in his own way, with a new form of Exorcism. More then 20 years after Anneliese Michel died.