Ernst Alt

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Father Ernst Alt was a German Roman Catholic priest and exorcist.

He is one of the priests who performed the exorcism that the movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose would be based on. Ultimately, Father Alt was found guilty of negligent homicide with the probation of three years. The true figure on whom the exorcism was performed - Annelise Michel - did stress the necessity of exorcism as she saw diabolical faces around her to which medicine couldn't help at all. On the contrary, drugs prescribed to her caused her suffer more and increased the illness. This is why, by acceptance of the Bishop of Wurzburg, the exorcism was allowed.It can be stated that the sentence of a secular court was based on the lack of belief in the existence of Satan. Thus, two priests involved firsthandly in the exorcism- father Ernst Alt and father Arnold Renz - were ridiculed and found guilty despite the will of Annelise (adult person) and her parents to continue exorcism. In 1996, Ernst Alt was granted a private audience with Pope John Paul II. The case of this exorcism was examined in detail by prof. Felicitas Goodman in her book 'The Exorcism of Annelise Michel'.