When the Devil Proved the Eucharist

Back in the sixteenth century, the world was fracturing. The Protestant Reformation was in full swing, and across Europe, people were fiercely debating whether Jesus was truly present in the Holy Eucharist or if the Mass was just a symbolic memorial.

In 1566, in the French city of Laon, God decided to settle the debate in a way no theologian ever could. He allowed a public spiritual war—one so undeniable, so meticulously documented, that it converted thousands on the spot.

A Public Stage in Laon

It began with a young woman named Nicola Aubrey, who was suffering from a terrifying, unmistakable possession. When ordinary prayers failed, it became clear this wasn’t a low-level spirit; the entity driving the affliction was Beelzebub himself.

The local bishop, Louis de Brézé, took an unusual step. To dispel rumors and ensure complete transparency, he conducted the exorcism publicly in the Cathedral of Laon. Over several weeks, roughly 150,000 people filtered through to witness the proceedings—among them royal notaries, university scholars, and a massive crowd of Calvinist Protestants who arrived determined to expose the whole thing as a fraud.

When Human Authority Fails

During the public sessions, several Protestant ministers stepped forward, confident they could cast out the spirit or prove the Catholic priests were faking it. One preacher opened a book of reformed hymns and prayers to read over the girl.

Beelzebub laughed in his face, mocking him: "Ho, ho! Do you think your prayers and hymns cause me any pain? Don't you know they are mine? I helped to compose them!"