The Possession of Clara Germana Cele

In 1906, a sixteen-year-old student at St. Michael’s Mission in Natal, South Africa, began exhibiting terrifying symptoms that the Catholic nuns interpreted as demonic possession. Clara Germana Cele’s case became one of the most dramatic possession accounts from Africa, featuring alleged levitation witnessed by over 170 people.

The Onset

Clara was an orphan raised at the mission school. According to accounts, she made a pact with Satan, after which she began experiencing disturbing phenomena. She reportedly confessed to a priest that she had made this pact, and her symptoms began shortly thereafter.

The nuns reported that Clara developed an intense aversion to religious objects. She could not bear to be in the presence of holy water, crucifixes, or blessed items. She would scream and convulse when these were brought near her.

The Phenomena

The symptoms attributed to Clara were extreme even by possession standards. She reportedly spoke in languages she had never learned, including German, French, and Polish. She demonstrated knowledge of events happening at distant locations and revealed secrets about people that she could not have known through normal means.

Most dramatically, multiple witnesses claimed to see Clara levitate. During one incident, she allegedly rose five feet off the ground in the presence of nuns and other students. The witnesses numbered over 170 people.

Clara also exhibited physical changes. Her skin reportedly became extremely hot to the touch, and she demonstrated physical strength far beyond what her small frame should have permitted.

The Exorcism

Two priests, Father Hörner and Father Erasmus, performed an exorcism over two days in September 1906. The ritual was intense and dramatic, with Clara reportedly struggling violently and speaking in multiple voices.

According to the accounts, the exorcism was successful. Clara returned to normal behavior and lived the rest of her life without further incidents. She remained at the mission and later became a nun herself.

Assessment

The Clara Germana Cele case is notable for its large number of witnesses and the detailed documentation by the mission’s staff. The levitation claims, if accurate, would represent one of the most witnessed instances of such phenomena in possession literature.