Priest removed as exorcist after remarks about UFOs and demons
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 24: Fr. Stephen Rossetti is a Catholic priest/psychologist, best known for running programs for sex abusers and addicts, but is also the Nats' Catholic chaplain. He is pictured outside the stadium. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/T
A prominent Catholic priest was removed from his role as an exorcist in his archdiocese after comments he made linking UFOs to the presence of demon activity in a recent Facebook post.
Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, became well-known for his work in exorcism, founding the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a ministry dedicated to deliverance and exorcism, according to St. Michael Center’s website.
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"These UFO sightings are in fact demons"
What they're saying:
Rossetti posted a video on May 29 on his Facebook page where he spoke of UFO sightings and the possible existence of extraterrestrial life.
He warned of the potential danger involved, saying, "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."
He went further to say, "It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons."
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The other side:
The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, said they were also ending their affiliation with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal.
"Linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism," McElroy said.
Msgr. Rossetti released a statement in response on the Center’s website:
Rossetti had been in his role for over 15 years. He has spent decades working in psychological treatment and the spiritual renewal of priests and religions, personally leading hundreds of exorcisms and deliverance sessions.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. and St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal . This story was reported from Orlando.