Cardinal Robert McElroy is offering a different explanation for his decision to remove Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, saying the move was not prompted by the priest’s controversial comments about UFOs but by concerns over the public nature of his ministry.
According to LifeSiteNews, McElroy addressed the issue during a June 29 interview with Catholic News Service at the Pontifical North American College, which was published on July 8. The cardinal said his decision “wasn’t touching on the question of UFOs,” despite earlier statements from the archdiocese that cited Rossetti’s remarks about UFOs as a significant concern.
“It wasn’t touching on the question of UFOs,” McElroy said. “My major objection is that I think the traditional role of an exorcist is a very private one. It’s a sacred one.”
He added that exorcists ordinarily minister in exceptional cases involving individuals believed to be suffering from demonic possession and that the office should remain focused on that mission.
“I think the more traditional approach of an exorcist is a private, within-the-life-of-the-Church ministry to help individuals who are in crisis and seem to be demonically possessed,” McElroy said. “It shouldn’t go beyond that for people who are doing exorcism.”
The remarks differ from the explanation the Archdiocese of Washington provided when Rossetti was removed earlier this year. According to LifeSiteNews, the archdiocese previously stated that Cardinal McElroy believed Rossetti’s public comments linking UFOs to demonic activity, together with the ministry’s use of social media, “gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”
Rossetti’s comments followed renewed public interest in unidentified aerial phenomena after the release of U.S. government files documenting alleged UFO sightings. In a now-deleted YouTube video, Rossetti said it was his personal belief that many reported UFO encounters are actually manifestations of demonic activity.
“There’s no question in my mind personally … it’s my personal belief that probably many, if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti said, according to LifeSiteNews. He argued that the extraordinary movements sometimes reported in UFO sightings resemble abilities traditionally attributed to fallen angels rather than human technology.
The question of whether exorcists should maintain a low public profile has longstanding support within the Church. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states on its guidance regarding exorcism that it is “strongly suggested that the identity of the exorcist be kept secret or at most known only to the other priests of the diocese so as not to overwhelm the exorcist with random calls and inquiries.”
While the Catholic Church affirms the existence of angels and demons and provides for the ministry of exorcism in carefully regulated circumstances, it has not issued official teaching declaring unidentified aerial phenomena or alleged extraterrestrial encounters to be demonic. Individual priests, theologians, and Catholic commentators have expressed differing opinions on the subject.
According to LifeSiteNews, Rossetti remains a priest in good standing in the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, despite his removal from his role as an exorcist in Washington. The differing explanations surrounding his dismissal continue to draw attention to broader questions about the public role of exorcists and how speculative topics such as UFOs should be addressed within Catholic ministry.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
