The Tanacu exorcism was a case in which Maricica Irina Cornici, an allegedly
mentally ill
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
at the
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...
monastery of
Tanacu in
Vaslui County
Vaslui County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Western Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 395,499 and the population density was 74/km2.
* Romanians - over 98%
* Romani ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, was ruled to be killed during an
exorcism
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 do ...
in 2005 led by Father Daniel Petre Corogeanu and four Orthodox Christian nuns who were a part of the Order of the Holy Trinity.
The case was widely publicized in the Romanian media and following a lengthy trial, the priest was sentenced on appeal to 7 years, one nun to 6 years and the other three nuns to 5 years; however, many of Tanacu's residents, including Cornici's brother, believed her to have suffered from
demonic possession
Spirit Possession is an altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors which are purportedly caused by the control of a human body and its functions by Supernatural#Spirit, spirits, ghosts, demons, angels, or Deity, gods. The concept ...
.
The
coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
Dan Gheorghiu maintained that the nun's cause of death was due to an
overdose
A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014. of
adrenaline
Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and medication which is involved in regulating visceral functions (e.g., respiration). It appears as a white microcrystalline granule. Adrenaline is normally produced by the adrenal glands a ...
given in the ambulance.
Background
In the aftermath of the
Romanian Revolution
The Romanian revolution () was a period of violent Civil disorder, civil unrest in Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily ...
of December 1989, the
Socialist Republic of Romania
The Socialist Republic of Romania (, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989 (see Revolutions of 1989). From 1947 to 1965, the state was ...
, which officially promoted
state atheism
State atheism or atheist state is the incorporation of hard atheism or non-theism into Forms of government, political regimes. It is considered the opposite of theocracy and may also refer to large-scale secularization attempts by governments ...
, collapsed, resulting in the end of the
persecution of Christians in Communist Romania, as well as the revival of
Christian monasticism
Christian monasticism is a religious way of life of Christians who live Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, m ...
in the country.
In January 2005, 23-year-old Maricica Irina Cornici moved to the Tanacu monastery.
She was born into a broken family, and, following her father's suicide, she and her brother grew up in an
orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
. When she was 19, she worked as a
nanny
A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and then for a family in
Banat
Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
.
A friend of hers from the orphanage became a nun at the Tanacu monastery and she encouraged her to also become a nun.
Soon after, she began giggling during
Mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
and, by April, her mental state deteriorated and the doctors at the local
psychiatric hospital
A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
diagnosed her disease as
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
. After a two-week treatment, they released her into the care of the monastery.
Cornici's friends also stated that she never exhibited any signs of mental illness.
Her brother testified that he was with her when he saw Satan go "into her" and also maintained that she suffered from
demonic possession
Spirit Possession is an altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors which are purportedly caused by the control of a human body and its functions by Supernatural#Spirit, spirits, ghosts, demons, angels, or Deity, gods. The concept ...
.
Daniel Petre Corogeanu was the 29-year-old priest of the monastery. A decade before the events, he was a football player in
Vaslui, his home town. He began following religious studies at the
University of Iași
The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in , Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former was converted to a university, the University of , as it was named ...
after he could not secure admission in
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
, where he wanted to study sports or law.
A year later, a businessman from his home town recruited him to help build a monastery in the hills near the city. He was ordained by the local
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
, who expected that he would continue his studies. Nevertheless, he gave up his university education in order to devote himself to running the monastery.
In 2003, Father Corogeanu had some disputes with the
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
. When the bishop came to read him the
canon law
Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
, he argued that the rules were "19th century innovations" made by the
Freemasonry
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
.
The original community of monks dissolved as they left to become priests and, instead, Corogeanu organized a community of nuns, who were, according to all accounts, "completely devout to him".
The exorcism
Father Corogeanu thought that it was not just a mental illness, but rather that Cornici was possessed by
Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
.
He would later claim that "you can't take the Devil out of people with pills" and that an exorcism was necessary.
In order to restrain her from violent movements including those causing her to hit herself,
the nuns bound her hands and feet and locked her in her room as they participated in the liturgy commemorating the
Ascension of Jesus
The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate ) is the Christianity, Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus entering heaven alive, ascended to Heaven. Christian doctrine, as reflected in the major Christian creeds and confessional stateme ...
. A few days later, they chained her to a cross with her arms stretched and carried her into the church so that they could anoint her.
According to Sister Nicoleta Arcalianu, Cornici had been restrained in the same manner that others who were demonically possessed were; Sister Arcalianu stated that had Cornici not been restrained, she "could have either killed herself or killed someone else".
With regard to Cornici, Sister Arcalianu stated that "Irina knew that she was possessed by evil spirits because she was begging us to tie her up and help her."
Her wrists and forehead were then anointed with
holy oil and she was kept in the church for three days.
They put a towel into her mouth to stop her from cursing and
prayed to cast out the
Devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
as they wet her lips with
holy water
Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
.
Cornici was then moved to her room and untied. She was, according to Father Corogeanu, "cured". She was later given bread and tea, and fainted after eating. The nuns could not awaken her, and feeling that her
pulse
In medicine, the pulse refers to the rhythmic pulsations (expansion and contraction) of an artery in response to the cardiac cycle (heartbeat). The pulse may be felt ( palpated) in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surfac ...
was weak, they called an ambulance. While in the ambulance, she was administered six doses of adrenaline.
By the time she reached the hospital, she was dead.
Aftermath
The police were notified by the doctors at the hospital, who noticed the marks left on her wrists and ankles by the chains. The 2005
autopsy
An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
claimed that she had died of
dehydration
In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
,
exhaustion and a lack of oxygen.
Father Corogeanu and the four nuns who helped him were charged with murder and depriving a person of liberty.
Prosecutors sought a
life sentence
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are c ...
for Corogeanu, but he was sentenced in 2007 to 14 years in prison, while the nuns (Nicoleta Arcalianu, Adina Cepraga, Elena Otel, and Simona Bardanas) were sentenced to between 5 and 8 years.
Many individuals were present in the courtroom to support Father Corogeanu, and were distraught at the pronouncement of the verdict.
The Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to 7 years,
and Corogeanu was freed on
parole
Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...
in November 2011, after serving two-thirds of his punishment.
As Maricica Irina Cornici was lowered into her grave during her
funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
, "claps of thunder were heard", leading Corogeanu to conclude "that the will of God has been done".
The Romanian Orthodox Church closed down the monastery and had Corogeanu defrocked.
In 2014, Coroner Dan Gheorghiu said "'I was part of the team who handled the exhumation of the nun's body. ... It was concluded that the woman died of an overdose of adrenaline. Don't ask me, I don't know why the judges did not take that into account."
Fr. Corogeanu stated that "My biggest mistake was that I called the ambulance when I saw she was not moving. I think she died because the medics who came with the ambulance tried to resuscitate her by giving her too much adrenaline. Had I not called the ambulance, she would have been well now."
In Tanacu, many people continue to maintain that Cornici was indeed possessed, rather than mentally ill, and that Corogeanu did his best to help her.
Veronica Tomulescu stated that "It's not as if they actually killed her. They didn't stab her or shoot her. They took her to the hospital alive."
The 2012 movie ''
Beyond the Hills'' directed by
Cristian Mungiu was based on the novels written by
Tatiana Niculescu Bran, and inspired by the Tanacu case. ''
The Crucifixion'', released in 2017, is also based on the Tanacu exorcism.
See also
*
Exorcism in Christianity
*
Clara Germana Cele
*
Johann Blumhardt
*
Michael Taylor (Ossett)
References
{{Romanian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodoxy-related controversies
Exorcism in Christianity
Romanian Orthodox Church
History of Christianity in Romania
Vaslui County
Demonic possession
2005 murders in Romania