A prominent Christian exorcist has been removed from his role by the Archdiocese of Washington after suggesting that many reported UFO sightings could be linked to demonic activity.
Cardinal Robert McElroy announced on 3 June that Monsignor Stephen Rossetti had been removed as an exorcist for the archdiocese following comments made in a recent online video. Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse in New York, had served in the role for 19 years.
The archdiocese also confirmed that it had ended its affiliation with the St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based Catholic non-profit organisation led by Rossetti. The centre provides spiritual education programmes and training for clergy, religious communities and lay people.
The decision follows a video posted to YouTube on 29 May in which Rossetti discussed unidentified flying objects and their possible origins. In the video, he expressed his personal belief that "many, if not most, [UFO] sightings are, in fact, demons".
Such entities, he said, "can do things that we can't do, such [as] the speed and all sorts of things that human beings can't do."
In a statement published by the Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal McElroy said Rossetti's remarks "gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons, and exorcism".
The cardinal also criticised the St Michael Center's "recent use of social media", although no further details were provided.
Responding to the decision, Rossetti said he was "saddened" by the archdiocese's actions and acknowledged the concerns that had been raised.
"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 said.
Rossetti also reflected on his long service within the archdiocese.
"I am grateful for 19 years of ministering in the Archdiocese of Washington as its exorcist and I thank the archdiocese for its support and blessing all these years," the statement continued.
"We will remember the cardinal and all in [the archdiocese] in our prayers for its important ministry."
Despite the separation from the Archdiocese of Washington, Rossetti indicated that the St Michael Center would continue operating.
"The St Michael Center plans to continue its ministry elsewhere," he said.
Shortly after the controversy emerged, the YouTube video that prompted the archdiocese's decision was made private.
The Archdiocese of Washington's decision signals a clear effort to distance itself from interpretations it believes fall outside official Church teaching.
