A Catholic exorcist has been removed from his position after claiming that Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are a product of demonic activity. Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, who previously served as chief exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, went on the YouTube page of his St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal to join the growing discussion on whether or not aliens exist or are demons in disguise.

While stating that belief in extraterrestrial life was not necessarily contradictory to the Bible, Rosetti warned against ignoring the reality of demonic activity. “But there’s a danger here … as an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger: and that is that demons like to hide, they don’t want us to know they’re around,” he said. “They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it. And they can kind of get into your head … and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.”

Rosetti said he was drawing on his own personal experience as an exorcist for his conclusion. “There’s no question in my mind, personally — again, this is not de fide, but it’s my personal belief — that probably many, if not most, of these UFO sightings are, in fact, demons; and they can do things that we can’t do, such [as] the speed and all sorts of things that human beings can’t do,” he said. “The reason why it’s important is because they will try to manipulate us.” He ultimately encouraged his viewers to focus on Jesus. “Remember, our fight is against principalities and powers, evil spirits, Satan and his minions. But in the end, we trust in God.”

Rosetti’s comments, however, did not sit well with the Diocese. As of June 3, Washington Archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy removed Rosetti from his role as an archdiocesan exorcist. The archdiocese also ended all affiliation with Rosetti’s Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. The original video of Rosetti’s comments has been marked private but is available through other social media. In a statement about Rosetti’s removal, McElroy said Rosetti’s claims “gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.” Rosetti responded saying he was “saddened” by the removal. “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.’ 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.” The Saint Michael Center will continue its work “elsewhere” according to Rosetti.

The archdiocese’s announcement of Rosetti’s removal on X received major pushback, causing the Diocese to remove it. “Cardinal Robert McElroy’s firing of the faithful priest, exorcist Msgr. Stephen Rossetti—for his opposition to the ET UFO Deception—is an outrageous scandal,” wrote Catholic YouTuber Daniel O’Connor. “Msgr. Stephen Rossetti was just removed as an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington DC after Cardinal McElroy falsely claimed that Rossetti’s comments about UFOs—that they are most likely demons—went against Catholic teaching,” wrote John Daniel Davidson, Senior Editor of The Federalist. “This is part of a great deception now underway.”