The Catholic archbishop of Washington DC has removed a prominent priest from his role as an exorcist after he publicly suggested that UFO sightings are the work of demons. Cardinal Robert McElroy also severed ties with the St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a non-profit organization led by Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.
Cardinal's Statement on Church Teaching
In a statement released on Wednesday, Cardinal McElroy said Rossetti's comments linking UFOs to demonic presence, along with the center's recent social media activity, "gravely undermine the Church's very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism." The decision marks a significant disciplinary action within the archdiocese.
Rossetti's Controversial Video
In a video posted on his Facebook page on 29 May, Rossetti addressed the topic of UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. "There's a danger here," he said. "As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. They don't want us to know what they're doing because they're more effective when we don't realize it." Rossetti added that demons can manipulate people's minds and influence them to do evil. He stated his personal belief that "probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons."
Rossetti also noted that Catholics can believe in extraterrestrial life, though he personally does not think life exists elsewhere in the universe.
Rossetti's Response
In a statement on the St Michael Center website, Rossetti expressed sadness over the archdiocese's action. "I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church's Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on 'aliens and the demonic,'" he wrote. "I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient."
Background of the Priest
Rossetti is a well-known figure with over 148,000 followers on Instagram. He is both a psychologist and an exorcist, and his center specializes in providing spiritual healing for priests facing various challenges. In 2023, he told the Associated Press that there was a growing interest in information about demonic possession and exorcism.
The Pentagon has also released a second batch of UFO videos and first-hand testimony, reflecting ongoing public curiosity about unidentified aerial phenomena.
