On Celebrity Exorcists

It has been in the news lately that Cardinal Robert McElroy has removed Msgr. Stephen Rosetti from the post of exorcist for the archdiocese of Washington, DC., after some comments he made about UFO sightings and demons: Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons | National Catholic Reporter

"The archbishop said Rossetti's statements "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."

So I thought it might be useful to explore what the Church's teaching on exorcism and exorcists actually is. From the USCCB site on that subject: Exorcism | USCCB

"Exorcism is a specific form of prayer that the Church uses against the power of the devil...Exorcism is a prayer that falls in the category of sacramentals, that is, one of a number of sacred signs instituted by the Church "to sanctify different circumstances of life" (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 351), thus varying from the seven sacraments of the Church which were instituted by Christ himself."

"...Exorcisms are divided into two kinds (or forms). Simple or minor forms of exorcism are found in two places: first, for those preparing for Baptism, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and the Order of Baptism of Children both call for minor exorcisms; secondly, the appendix of Exorcisms and Related Supplications includes a series of prayers which may be used by the faithful."

"The second kind is the solemn or "major exorcism," which is a rite that can only be performed by a bishop or a by priest, with the special and express permission of the local ordinary (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1172). This form is directed "at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation [of a person] from demonic possession" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1673)."

"...It is advisable that every diocese establish a protocol to respond to inquiries made by the faithful who claim to be demonically afflicted. As part of the protocol, an assessment should occur to determine the true state of the person.Only after a thorough examination including medical, psychological, and psychiatric testing might the person be referred to the exorcist for a final determination regarding demonic possession. To be clear, the actual determination of whether a member of the faithful is genuinely possessed by the devil is made by the Church, even if individuals claim to be possessed through their own self-diagnosis or psychosis."

"While both forms of exorcism are directed against the power of the devil, the Rite of Major Exorcism is employed only when there is a case of genuine demonic possession, namely, when it is determined that the presence of the devil is in the body of the possessed and the devil is able to exercise dominion over that body.  Minor exorcisms are prayers used to break the influence of evil and sin in a person's life, whether as a catechumen preparing for Baptism or as one of the Baptized faithful striving to overcome the influence of evil and sin in his or her life."

"...The minister of a minor exorcism is the designated authorized minister of the sacrament (RCIA or Baptism for Children) or blessing being celebrated. Thus, the prayers in Appendix II, "Supplications which May be Used by the Faithful Privately in Their Struggle against the Powers of Darkness" may be offered by any member of the clergy or by the lay faithful. However, the Rite of Major Exorcism is to be celebrated only by a bishop or a priest who has obtained the special and express permission of the diocesan bishop."

"A priest may be appointed to the office of exorcist either on a stable basis or for a particular occasion (ad actum) by the diocesan bishop. In either case, the exorcist should work closely with, and under the direction of, the bishop....The Introduction to Exorcisms and Related Supplications further directs that the priest "has been specifically prepared for this office" (ERS, no. 13)."

"As has been mentioned previously, the Rite of Major Exorcism is to be administered only by an authorized priest or bishop (sacerdos). If it is deemed useful, members of the lay faithful may be present for the rite, supporting the work of the exorcist by their prayers either recited privately or as instructed in the rite. However, the text cautions that the lay faithful are not to recite any prayers reserved to the exorcist (ERS, no. 35), not only because the prayers are reserved to those ordained to act in the person of Christ the Head (in persona Christi capitis), but also to protect the faithful from possible spiritual harm....When an afflicted member of the faithful is female, there should be at least one other female present for the sake of propriety and discretion. At no time should the exorcist be alone with an afflicted member of the faithful, neither during consultation nor for the celebration of the rite... the practice of performing an exorcism in solitude should be discouraged at all costs.

"...The exorcist is instructed to employ the "utmost circumspection and prudence" before proceeding to the rite (ERS, no. 14). Throughout his ministry, an exorcist must establish a balance within his own mind between not believing too easily that the devil is responsible for what is manifesting, and attributing all possible manifestations solely to a natural, organic source."

The norm is to celebrate the rite of exorcism in an oratory or other appropriate place (for example, a small chapel) discreetly hidden from plain view (ERS, no. 33). It is to the advantage of the exorcist whenever possibleto uttilize a place that is dedicated to God's honor and not the home of the afflicted person, for instance."

"For the integrity of the afflicted person's reputation as well as for those individuals who might be assisting, the preservation of confidentiality is important. It is also strongly suggested that the identity of the exorcist be kept secret or at most known only to the other priests of the diocese so as not to overwhelm the exorcist with random calls and inquiries."

Now some comments from me: It appears that Msgr. Rosetti broke several rules or guidelines here.  The first being that he is public about his ministry, and is on social media about it.  As mentioned above, every diocese is recommended to appoint a priest to the office of exorcist, but his identity is not usually made public.  I would guess that most clergy probably do know who it is. But they are asked not to spread it around or gossip about it. Being the designated exorcist for a diocese is not a permanent appointment.  Like other ministries priests may serve as an exorcist for a time, and move on to other jobs, and someone else may be appointed.  At least in our diocese, it isn't a full time job. The priest has many other duties, unrelated to that one.

The other guideline Msgr. Rosetti seems to have broken is making off the wall statements about UFOs and space aliens that have no theological or Biblical base.

It should be noted that as far as I know Msgr. Rosetti is still a priest in good standing, and can still do Mass and the sacraments the same as any other priest. He just isn't the appointed exorcist of his archdiocese any more.