The Possession of Clara Germana Cele

In 1906, at the St. Michael’s Mission in Natal Province, South Africa, a sixteen-year-old girl named Clara Germana Cele began exhibiting symptoms that witnesses interpreted as demonic possession. Her case, documented by multiple clergy members and witnessed by approximately 170 people, included levitation, speaking in languages she had never learned, knowledge she could not possess, and violent reactions to sacred objects. The subsequent exorcism, conducted over two days, was one of the most witnessed possession cases of the twentieth century.

Background

Clara Germana Cele was an orphan raised by nuns at the Mission of Umzinto in Natal Province. By all accounts, she was a normal teenage girl, somewhat willful but not unusually troubled. She had received a Catholic education and participated regularly in religious observances.

In August 1906, Clara made a disturbing confession to a priest. She admitted to having made a pact with Satan. Whether this reflected actual occult activity, adolescent dramatics, or something else is unclear. What is clear is that shortly after this confession, Clara’s behavior changed dramatically.

Manifestation of Symptoms

The possession symptoms appeared suddenly and intensely. Clara began speaking in languages she had never been taught, including German, French, and Polish. She had never left the mission and had no opportunity to learn these languages. Yet witnesses reported that she spoke them fluently and accurately.

Clara demonstrated knowledge she could not possess. She revealed secret sins of people around her, information known only to the individuals involved. She described events happening at distant locations, which were later confirmed. She seemed to know things about people she had never met.

Her behavior toward religious objects was violent. She could not tolerate the presence of crucifixes, holy water, or sacred images. She reportedly could sense these objects even when hidden or brought into her presence secretly. Their proximity caused her to become violent and to display superhuman strength.

Physical Phenomena

The physical manifestations were dramatic and witnessed by many. Clara reportedly levitated above her bed, sometimes rising as high as five feet. On at least one occasion, she levitated horizontally and remained suspended in the air in the presence of multiple witnesses including nuns, priests, and visitors.

Her skin reportedly became intensely hot to the touch. She produced animal-like sounds—growling, hissing, barking—that seemed impossible for a human throat to generate. She contorted into positions that should have been impossible, bending in ways that seemed to violate human anatomy.

Most disturbing, she attempted to strangle a nun with her own habit and attacked several other people around her. When restrained, she demonstrated strength far beyond what her small frame should have possessed.

The Witnesses

What makes the Clara Germana Cele case significant is the number and variety of witnesses. The phenomena were not observed by a few credulous believers but by approximately 170 people over the course of several months. These included:

Multiple priests with educational backgrounds and no prior belief in possession. Nuns who had known Clara since childhood and could attest that her behavior was radically different from her normal self. Medical personnel who examined her. Visitors to the mission who happened to witness events.

Several witnesses provided written testimonies. Father Erasmus and Father Mansueti, who conducted the exorcism, documented their observations. Sisters who attended Clara during her ordeal recorded what they witnessed.

The Exorcism

On September 10-11, 1906, Father Erasmus and Father Mansueti performed the Rite of Exorcism. The ceremony followed Catholic ritual and was conducted over two days.

During the exorcism, Clara’s symptoms intensified. She reportedly levitated repeatedly. She spoke in multiple voices, some claiming to be demons. She demonstrated knowledge of the priests’ secret thoughts. She fought against the ritual with tremendous force.

The exorcism reportedly succeeded. By the end of the second day, Clara became calm. The voices stopped. She no longer reacted violently to sacred objects. She returned to her normal personality and had little memory of the preceding months.

Aftermath

Following the exorcism, Clara Germana Cele recovered and lived a normal life. She remained at the mission, eventually becoming a nun herself. She reportedly never experienced another possession episode.

The case was documented in the archives of the Society of Missionaries of Mariannhill. Reports were submitted to Church authorities. The witnesses’ testimonies were preserved.

Analysis

The Clara Germana Cele case presents challenges for both believers and skeptics. The number of witnesses, the documentation, and the variety of phenomena reported make simple dismissal difficult. Yet the interpretation of these phenomena remains contested.

Skeptics suggest psychological explanations—dissociative disorders, hysteria, or deliberate deception. The “languages” Clara spoke might have been gibberish that sounded like foreign languages to witnesses unfamiliar with those languages. The levitation might have been misperceived in poorly lit conditions. The “secret knowledge” might have been cold reading or lucky guesses.

Believers point to the consistency of testimony, the number of educated witnesses, and the physical evidence of strength and knowledge beyond Clara’s normal capacities. They note that the phenomena stopped immediately after a religious intervention, consistent with genuine possession and exorcism.

Significance

The Clara Germana Cele case remains one of the best-documented possession cases of the modern era. It occurred early enough that detailed scientific analysis was not possible, yet recently enough that written records survive.

The case raises enduring questions about the nature of possession, the reliability of witness testimony, and the relationship between religious belief and extraordinary phenomena. Whether Clara was possessed by a demon, suffering from a psychological disorder, or something else entirely, her case continues to be studied and debated more than a century later.