Exorcism of Roland Doe

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In the late 1940s, in the United States, priests of the Catholic Church performed a series of exorcisms on an anonymous boy, documented under the pseudonym "Roland Doe" or "Robbie Mannheim". The 14-year-old boy was alleged to be a victim of demonic possession, and the events were recorded by the attending priest, Raymond J. Bishop. Subsequent supernatural claims surrounding the events were used as elements in William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel The Exorcist . [1] In December 2021, The Skeptical Inquirer reported the purported true identity of Roland Doe/Robbie Mannheim as Ronald Edwin Hunkeler (June 1, 1935 – May 10, 2020). [2] [3]

Contents

Origin of claims

In mid-1949, several newspaper articles printed anonymous reports of an alleged possession and exorcism. The source for these reports is thought to be the family's former pastor, Luther Miles Schulze. [1] According to one account, a total of "forty-eight people witnessed this exorcism, nine of them Jesuits." [4]

According to author Thomas B. Allen, Jesuit priest Father Walter H. Halloran was one of the last surviving eyewitnesses of the events and participated in the exorcism. Allen wrote that a diary kept by attending priest Father Raymond J. Bishop detailed the exorcism performed on the pseudonymously identified "Roland Doe" aka "Robbie". Speaking in 2013, Allen "emphasized that definitive proof that the boy known only as 'Robbie' was possessed by malevolent spirits is unattainable." According to Allen, Halloran also "expressed his skepticism about potential paranormal events before his death." [5] When asked in an interview to make a statement verifying that the boy had actually been demonically possessed, Halloran responded saying, "No, I can't go on record. I never made an absolute statement about the things because I didn't feel I was qualified." [1]

Early life

Roland was born into a German Lutheran family in 1935. During the 1940s the family lived in Cottage City, Maryland. [1] According to Allen, Roland was an only child and depended upon adults in his household for playmates, primarily his Aunt Harriet. His aunt, who was a spiritualist, introduced Roland to the ouija board when he expressed interest in it. [6]

Exorcisms

According to Thomas B. Allen, after Aunt Harriet's death the family experienced strange noises, furniture moving of its own accord and ordinary objects such as vases flying or levitating when the boy was nearby. The family turned to their Lutheran pastor, Luther Miles Schulze, for help. Long interested in parapsychology, Schulze arranged for the boy to spend a night in his home in order to observe him. [6] When parapsychologist Joseph Banks Rhine learned that Schulze claimed he witnessed household objects and furniture seemingly moving by themselves, Rhine "wondered if Schulze 'unconsciously exaggerated' some of the facts." [1] Schulze advised the boy's parents to "see a Catholic priest". [6]

According to the traditional story, the boy then underwent a number of exorcisms. Edward Hughes, a Roman Catholic priest, conducted an exorcism on Roland at Georgetown University Hospital, a Jesuit institution. [1]

During the exorcism, the boy allegedly slipped one of his hands out of the restraints, broke a bedspring from under the mattress, and used it as an impromptu weapon, slashing the priest's arm and resulting in the exorcism ritual being halted. The family traveled to St. Louis, where Roland's cousin contacted one of his professors at St. Louis University, Bishop, who in turn spoke to William S. Bowdern, an associate of College Church. Together, both priests visited Roland in his relatives' home, where they allegedly observed a shaking bed, flying objects, and the boy speaking in a guttural voice and exhibiting an aversion to anything sacred. Bowdern was granted permission from the archbishop to perform another exorcism.

The exorcism took place at The Alexian Brothers Hospital in South St Louis, Missouri, which was changed to South City Hospital. [7]

Before the next exorcism ritual began, another priest, Walter Halloran, was called to the psychiatric wing of the hospital, where he was asked to assist Bowdern. [8] William Van Roo, a third Jesuit priest, was also there to assist. [8] Halloran stated that during this scene words such as "evil" and "hell", along with other various marks, appeared on the teenager's body. [8] Allegedly, during the Litany of the Saints portion of the exorcism ritual, the boy's mattress began to shake. [6] Moreover, Roland broke Halloran's nose during the process. [8] Halloran told a reporter that after the rite was over, the anonymous subject of the exorcism went on to lead "a rather ordinary life." [8]

Investigations and explanations

In his 1993 book Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism, author Thomas B. Allen offered "the consensus of today's experts" that "Robbie was just a deeply disturbed boy, nothing supernatural about him". [9]

Author Mark Opsasnick [1] questioned many of the supernatural claims associated with this story, proposing that "Roland Doe" was simply a spoiled, disturbed bully who threw deliberate tantrums to get attention or to get out of school. Opsasnick reports that Halloran, who was present at the exorcism, never heard the boy's voice change, and he thought the boy merely mimicked Latin words he heard clergymen say, rather than gaining a sudden ability to speak Latin. Opsasnick reported that when marks were found on the boy's body, Halloran failed to check the boy's fingernails to see if he had made the marks himself. Opsasnick also questioned the story of Hughes' attempts to exorcise the boy and his subsequent injury, saying he could find no evidence that such an episode had actually occurred.

During his investigation Opsasnick discovered:

According to Opsasnick, individuals connected to the incident were influenced by their own specializations:

To psychiatrists, Rob Doe suffered from mental illness. To priests this was a case of demonic possession. To writers and film/video producers this was a great story to exploit for profit. Those involved saw what they were trained to see. Each purported to look at the facts but just the opposite was true — in actuality they manipulated the facts and emphasized information that fit their own agendas

Opsasnik wrote that after he located and spoke with neighbors and childhood friends of the boy (most of whom he only referenced by initials) he concluded that "the boy had been a very clever trickster, who had pulled pranks to frighten his mother and to fool children in the neighborhood".

Skeptic Joe Nickell [10] wrote that there was "simply no credible evidence to suggest the boy was possessed by demons or evil spirits" and maintains that the symptoms of possession can be "childishly simple" to fake. Nickell dismissed suggestions that supernatural forces made scratches or markings or caused words to appear on the teenager's body in unreachable places, saying, "A determined youth, probably even without a wall mirror, could easily have managed such a feat - if it actually occurred. Although the scratched messages proliferated, they never again appeared on a difficult-to-reach portion of the boy's anatomy." On one occasion the boy was reportedly seen scratching the words "hell" and "christ" on his chest by using his own fingernails. [10] According to Nickell:

Nothing that was reliably reported in the case was beyond the abilities of a teenager to produce. The tantrums, "trances", moved furniture, hurled objects, automatic writing, superficial scratches, and other phenomena were just the kinds of things someone of R's age could accomplish, just as others have done before and since. Indeed, the elements of "poltergeist phenomena", "spirit communication", and "demonic possession"—taken both separately and, especially, together, as one progressed to the other—suggest nothing so much as role-playing involving trickery.

Nickell also dismissed stories of the boy's prodigious strength, saying he showed "nothing more than what could be summoned by an agitated teenager" and criticized popular accounts of the exorcism for what he termed a "stereotypical storybook portrayal" of the Devil. [10]

Religious perspectives

Two Christian academics, Terry D. Cooper, a professor of psychology, and Cindy K. Epperson, a professor of sociology, wrote that advocates of possession believe that "although they are not frequent, exorcisms are necessary for casting out the demonic" and "cases of genuine possession cannot be explained by psychiatry". Cooper and Epperson devoted a chapter of their book Evil: Satan, Sin, and Psychology to the case and dismissed natural explanations in favor of a supernatural perspective regarding the nature of evil. [11]

Literature and film

This exorcism case inspired the 1971 novel The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, which in turn was adapted into the 1973 horror film of the same title. [12] The case also inspired the 2000 movie Possessed , which is said to be closer to the story in Allen's book. [12] A documentary was made of the case, titled In the Grip of Evil. [13] Another documentary film was made in 2010 titled The Haunted Boy: The Secret Diary of the Exorcist, where a group of investigators travels to the location in question and uncovers the diary that is said to be kept by William S. Bowdern. [14]

Criminal Minds  : Season 4, Episode 17 "Demonology" - during a odd investigation into a few crimes, Agent Rossi mentions Robbie and the exorcisms to Agent Prentiss.

Related Research Articles

Spirit possession is an unusual or an altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors which are purportedly caused by the control of a human body and its functions by spirits, ghosts, demons, angels, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Haitian Vodou, Dominican 21 Divisions, Hinduism, Islam, Wicca, and Southeast Asian, African, and Native American traditions. Depending on the cultural context in which it is found, possession may be considered voluntary or involuntary and may be considered to have beneficial or detrimental effects on the host. Spirit possession is often regarded as a reason in support of spirits, deities or demons. In a 1969 study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, spirit possession beliefs were found to exist in 74% of a sample of 488 societies in all parts of the world, with the highest numbers of believing societies in Pacific cultures and the lowest incidence among Native Americans of both North and South America. As Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian churches move into both African and Oceanic areas, a merger of belief can take place, with demons becoming representative of the "old" indigenous religions, which the Christian ministers attempt to exorcise.

<i>The Exorcist</i> (novel) 1971 horror novel by William P. Blatty

The Exorcist is a 1971 horror novel written by American writer William Peter Blatty and published by Harper & Row. The book details the demonic possession of eleven-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. The novel was the basis of a highly successful film adaptation released two years later, whose screenplay was also written and produced by Blatty. More movies and books were eventually added to The Exorcist franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriele Amorth</span> Italian Roman Catholic priest and exorcist

Gabriele Amorth was an Italian Catholic priest of the Paulines and an exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. Amorth, along with five other priests, founded the International Association of Exorcists.

Walter H. HalloranSJ was a Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus who, at the age of twenty-six, assisted in the exorcism of Roland Doe, a thirteen-year-old Lutheran boy in Cottage City, Maryland, who was allegedly possessed. The case inspired William Peter Blatty to write his novel The Exorcist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William S. Bowdern</span> American Catholic exorcist (1897–1983)

William S. Bowdern was a Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the author of The Problems of Courtship and Marriage printed by Our Sunday Visitor in 1939. He was a graduate of and taught at St. Louis University High School; he also taught at St. Louis University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Hughes (exorcist)</span>

Father Edward Albert Hughes was a Roman Catholic priest who served as an assistant pastor from June 16, 1948 to June 18, 1960 at St. James Church in Mt. Rainier, Maryland. He was best known for his participation in the Exorcism of Roland Doe.

Raymond J. Bishop was a Catholic priest who was one of the several involved in the case of exorcising a boy in Maryland, who allegedly was possessed after using a ouija board. The case inspired author William Peter Blatty to write his 1971 novel The Exorcist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anneliese Michel</span> Woman who died from malnutrition after attempted exorcisms

Anna Elisabeth "Anneliese" Michel was a German woman who underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites during the year before her death. She died of malnutrition, for which her parents and priest were convicted of negligent homicide. She was diagnosed with epileptic psychosis and had a history of psychiatric treatment that proved ineffective.

<i>Possessed</i> (2000 film) 2000 American horror film

Possessed is a 2000 American horror television film directed by Steven E. de Souza, written by de Souza and Michael Lazarou, and starring Timothy Dalton. The film is based on events appearing in the 1993 book Possessed by Thomas B. Allen, which was inspired by the exorcism case of Roland Doe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exorcism</span> Evicting spiritual entities from a person or area

Exorcism is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be done by causing the entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate ritual, or simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power. The practice is ancient and part of the belief system of many cultures and religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Karras</span> Fictional character

Father Damien "Demis" Karras, SJ, is a fictional character from the 1971 novel The Exorcist, its 1983 sequel Legion, one of the main protagonists in the 1973 film The Exorcist, and a supporting character in The Exorcist III, the 1990 film adaptation of Legion. He is portrayed by Jason Miller.

Thomas Benton Allen was an American author and historian. He resided in Bethesda, Maryland. He was also the father of science fiction writer Roger MacBride Allen. Allen was a contributing editor to National Geographic. Allen had co-authored numerous books with Norman Polmar. He had also written numerous mystery novels.

Pazuzu (<i>The Exorcist</i>) Fictional character in The Exorcist horror novels and film series

Pazuzu is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in The Exorcist horror novels and film series, created by William Peter Blatty. Blatty derived the character from Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, where the mythic Pazuzu was considered the king of the demons of the wind, and the son of the god Hanbi. In The Exorcist, Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses Regan MacNeil.

<i>The Rite</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

The Rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni. It is loosely based on Matt Baglio's book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, which itself is based on actual events as witnessed and recounted by American then-exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas and his experiences of being sent to Rome to be trained and work daily with veteran clergy of the practice.

Clara Germana Cele was a South African Christian girl, who in 1906, was said to be possessed by a demon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exorcism in Christianity</span> Practice of casting out one or more demons from a person

In Christianity, exorcism involves the practice of casting out one or more demons from a person whom they are believed to have possessed. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the Christian Church, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, or amulets. The exorcist often invokes God, Jesus, angels and archangels, and various saints to aid with the exorcism. Christian exorcists most commonly cast out demons in Jesus' name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exorcism in the Catholic Church</span> The use of exorcism in the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church authorizes the use of exorcism for those who are believed to be the victims of demonic possession. In Roman Catholicism, exorcism is a sacramental but not a sacrament, unlike baptism or confession. Unlike a sacrament, exorcism's "integrity and efficacy do not depend ... on the rigid use of an unchanging formula or on the ordered sequence of prescribed actions. Its efficacy depends on two elements: authorization from valid and licit Church authorities, and the faith of the exorcist." The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism."

<i>The Exorcist</i> (franchise) American horror media franchise

The Exorcist is an American horror media franchise that originated with William Peter Blatty's 1971 horror novel of the same name and most prominently featured in a 1973 film adaptation of the novel, and many subsequent prequels and sequels. All of these installments focus on fictional accounts of people possessed by Pazuzu, the main antagonist of the series, and the efforts of religious authorities to counter this possession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bermingham (priest)</span> American Jesuit priest and scholar

Thomas Valentine Bermingham, SJ was an American Jesuit priest, and Classical teacher and scholar. In addition to his academic career at institutions including Fordham University and Georgetown University, he was known for his involvement in the production of the 1973 horror film The Exorcist, on which he worked as a technical advisor as well as acting in a minor role.

The Ammons haunting case, also known as the 200 Demons House or Demon House, is an alleged haunting and demonic possession which occurred in Gary, Indiana, in the United States in 2011. Latoya Ammons, her mother, Rosa Campbell, and her three children claimed paranormal activity occurred in the residence. The story was publicized in January 2014 and received national attention.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Opasnick, Mark. "The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired "The Exorcist"". Strange Magazine #20. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  2. ↑ JD Sword (November 2021). "Demoniac: Who Is Roland Doe, the Boy Who Inspired The Exorcist?". Skeptical Inquirer. Vol. 45, no. 6.
  3. ↑ Maya Yang (2021-12-20). "Boy whose case inspired The Exorcist is named by US magazine". The Guardian.
  4. ↑ Lockhart, Douglas (June 1999). The dark side of God: a quest for the lost heart of Christianity. New York City: Element Books / Houghton Mifflin. p. 101. ISBN   978-1-86204-458-6 . Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  5. ↑ Scher Zagier, Alan (October 30, 2013). "Exorcism of 1949 continues to fascinate St. Louis". News Union . Grass Valley, California: Swift Communications . Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Thomas B. Allen (11 November 2013), Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism, BookCountry, ISBN   978-1-4630-0367-8
  7. ↑ Garland, Amy (Spring 2014). "Exorcism Exposé: An in-depth look at Saint Louis University's part in the most famous exorcism of the 20th century". Universitas. Vol. 40, no. 2. Saint Louis University. pp. 13–15. Retrieved 14 October 2023. PDF
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jesuit Priest Walter Halloran". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 9 March 2005. p. B6. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  9. ↑ Drabelle, Dennis (12 July 1993). "The Demon Within: Was It . . . Satan?". The Washington Post (Book review). Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Allen is careful to delineate the symptoms of possession, thus softening the blow when, at the end of the book, he offers the consensus of today's experts: Robbie was just a deeply disturbed boy, nothing supernatural about him.
  10. 1 2 3 Nickell, Joe (January 2001). "Exorcism! Driving Out the Nonsense". Skeptical Inquirer. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Cooper, Terry D.; Epperson, Cindy K. (2008-09-02). Evil: Satan, Sin, and Psychology. Paulist Press. p. 22. ISBN   978-0-8091-4536-2 . Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  12. 1 2 Cinema of the occult: new age, satanism, Wicca, and spiritualism in film. Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp. 2008-12-31. ISBN   9780934223959 . Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  13. ↑ Vanderpool, Charles (director) (1997). In the Grip of Evil.
  14. ↑ Christopher Saint Booth & Philip Adrian Booth (directors) (1 October 2010). The Haunted Boy: The Secret Diary of the Exorcist (Video 2010).
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