{"id":15131,"date":"2026-06-05T14:08:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=15131"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:08:47","slug":"catholic-exorcist-removed-after-claiming-ufos-are-a-result-of-demonic-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2026\/06\/catholic-exorcist-removed-after-claiming-ufos-are-a-result-of-demonic-activity.html","title":{"rendered":"Catholic Exorcist Removed After Claiming UFOs Are a Result of Demonic Activity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Left: St. Michael Center For Spiritual Renewal \/ YouTube | Right: Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/a> of his St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal to join the growing discussion on whether or not aliens exist or are demons in disguise.<\/p>\n

While stating that belief in extraterrestrial life was not necessarily contradictory to the Bible, Rosetti warned against ignoring the reality of demonic activity. \u201cBut 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.”<\/p>\n

Rosetti said he was drawing on his own personal experience as an exorcist for his conclusion. \u201cThere’s no question in my mind, personally \u2014 again, this is not de fide, but it’s my personal belief \u2014 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. \u201cThe reason why it’s important is because they will try to manipulate us.\u201d He ultimately encouraged his viewers to focus on Jesus. \u201cRemember, our fight is against principalities and powers, evil spirits, Satan and his minions. But in the end, we trust in God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosetti\u2019s 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\u2019s Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. The original video of Rosetti\u2019s comments has been marked private but is available through other social media<\/a>. In a statement<\/a> about Rosetti\u2019s removal, McElroy said Rosetti\u2019s claims \u201cgravely undermine the Church\u2019s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.\u201d Rosetti responded<\/a> saying he was \u201csaddened\u201d by the removal. \u201cI ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church\u2019s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on \u2018aliens and the demonic.\u2019 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.\u201d The Saint Michael Center will continue its work \u201celsewhere\u201d according to Rosetti.<\/p>\n

The archdiocese\u2019s announcement of Rosetti\u2019s removal on X received major pushback, causing the Diocese to remove it<\/a>. \u201cCardinal Robert McElroy\u2019s firing of the faithful priest, exorcist Msgr. Stephen Rossetti\u2014for his opposition to the ET UFO Deception\u2014is an outrageous scandal,\u201d wrote Catholic YouTuber Daniel O\u2019Connor<\/a>. \u201cMsgr. Stephen Rossetti was just removed as an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington DC after Cardinal McElroy falsely claimed that Rossetti\u2019s comments about UFOs\u2014that they are most likely demons\u2014went against Catholic teaching,\u201d wrote John Daniel Davidson<\/a>, Senior Editor of The Federalist<\/em>. \u201cThis is part of a great deception now underway.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":15134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nCatholic Exorcist Removed After Claiming UFOs Are a Result of Demonic Activity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Catholic exorcist Stephen Rossetti was removed after saying many UFO sightings may be demonic, prompting backlash and debate.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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