The Roman Catholic Church is the butt of jokes. They still possess ritual books to expel evil spirits from a possessed person, place, or thing. Ooga-booga-boo!
The case of the dutifully Catholic Anneliese Michel is one that Catholics would like to bury. Her story became the plot for a few movies about exorcisms. Michel suffered from epileptic seizures and hallucinations, which meant Satan possessed her, of course.
She died on July 1, 1976 from malnutrition and dehydration, after having endured around ten months of partial-starvation while the exorcism was performed. At least one doctor claimed medical intervention could have spared her life up to a week before her untimely death.
Her parents were found guilty of manslaughter. It is interesting to note that a Carmelite nun, based on a vision, told the parents that their daughter’s body was still intact: proof of supernatural meddling. The undisputed official reports stated the body, upon exhumation, bore signs of consistent deterioration.
