The exorcism took its toll on Theophius. He had aged and the physical strain was severe. The nuns verged on collapsing.
When Anna was lucid, she saw visions of battles between good and evil forces. She saw the Horsemen of the Apocalypse led by St. Michael driving the demons back to hell. She saw St. Therese who urged her not to lose courage.
Evening, December 23, 1938: Anna fell back on her bed and emitted a piercing shriek. Words tumbled from her mouth. "Beelzebub, Judas, Jacob, Mina.... Hell-hell-hell."
She opened her eyes and said, "My Jesus, Mercy! Praise be Jesus Christ!"
The Roman Catholic Church did not make an official ruling about the validity of the exorcism, although the rite followed the traditional methods. There are things that are better kept secret, but the publicity of the Earling case made this impossible.
The psychological aspects of the possession and exorcism are deep. The incest demands of Jacob suggest that such a case today would be treated psychiatrically as opposed to exorcism. Anna had been familiar with exorcism since her teenage years, so this suggests spiritual counseling in addition to psychiatric would be beneficial.
In performing the exorcisms, although dangerous and frightening, Father Theophius did the right thing. According to record, it worked.
Ebon, Martin, The Devil's Bride, 1974, New York: Harper & Row Publishers. No ISBN
