Exorcists should keep a low profile, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington said in an interview following his removal of a social media-famous monsignor from the role of archdiocesan exorcist.
"My major objection is that I think the traditional role of an exorcist is a very private one. It's a sacred one,” McElroy told Catholic News Service (CNS) in an interview in late June at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
On June 3, McElroy announced that Msgr Stephen Rossetti had been removed from his role as chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington. McElroy also ended the affiliation between the archdiocese and the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, which is based in Washington.
Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York., leads the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. The centre, a deliverance ministry, now operates independently. Rossetti remains a priest in good standing with the Diocese of Syracuse, according to his website.
In the statement, McElroy cited Rossetti’s comments about UFOs and aliens, as well as the Center’s social media presence, as acts “gravely undermin(ing) the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons, and exorcism.”
Rossetti claimed in a now-deleted May 29 video posted on social media that "It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons."
Speaking to CNS, McElroy said that it was not necessarily the comments that were the main issue, but rather Rossetti’s ongoing public presence. Rossetti has more than 150,000 followers on Instagram, and the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal has 146,000 subscribers on YouTube.
"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 told CNS.
"It shouldn't go beyond that for people who are doing exorcism.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that it “strongly” suggests keeping the identity of exorcists a secret or, "at most known only to the other priests of the diocese."
The recommendation is in place due to the highly sensationalised view of the ministry among the public, as well as to not overwhelm the exorcist with “random calls and inquiries.”
