When a nationally known exorcist is stripped of his role over a video about UFOs while quietly remaining in “good standing” back home, it raises uncomfortable questions about who really polices truth in American religious life—and why.

Story Snapshot

• A prominent exorcist, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, was removed from ministry in Washington after saying many UFOs may be demonic.
• The Archdiocese of Washington said his comments and social media “gravely undermined” Catholic teaching on demons and exorcism.
• Rossetti expressed sorrow and asked forgiveness, but his home Diocese of Syracuse continues to hold him in good standing.
• The clash highlights deeper worries about institutional control, messaging, and how powerful gatekeepers handle controversial but popular voices.

Why a UFO Video Cost a Veteran Exorcist His Post

The Archdiocese of Washington removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti from his role as an exorcist after he publicly stated his personal belief that many, if not most, UFO sightings are actually demonic manifestations.^[1][2] Cardinal Robert McElroy said Rossetti’s statements linking UFOs to a demonic presence, along with the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal’s recent social media use, “gravely undermined” the Church’s precise teaching on the devil, demons, and exorcism.^[1][2] The archdiocese simultaneously cut institutional ties with the Saint Michael Center, the nonprofit Rossetti leads.^[1]

Rossetti made the contested remarks in a May 29 video, framing them as his own personal belief drawn from years of exorcism ministry.^[1][2][3] He said that while Catholics are free to believe in extraterrestrial life and the Church has never defined that question, he suspects many UFO reports involve demonic deception, with spirits manipulating perceptions and events to influence people toward evil.^[1][3] He also warned that demons prefer to hide their activity, and that misreading strange phenomena can leave people spiritually vulnerable.^[1]

What Rossetti and His Supporters Say Happened

After his removal became public, Rossetti issued a statement on the Saint Michael Center website saying he was saddened by the archdiocese’s decision.^[1][2] He asked 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,” a direct acknowledgement that church leaders believed he crossed a doctrinal line.^[2] At the same time, he did not retract his broader concerns about demonic influence or his decades of work explaining spiritual warfare to ordinary Catholics.^[3]

Commentators who know Rossetti’s work note that he is not a fringe figure trading in sensationalism but a widely respected priest, psychologist, author, and educator with serious academic credentials.^[3] He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, led the Saint Luke Institute, taught at The Catholic University of America, and became one of the most recognizable English‑language voices on exorcism and demonic oppression.^[3] For years he served as one of Washington’s exorcists and was often described by media outlets as the archdiocese’s “chief exorcist,” though that title appears journalistic rather than an official canonical office.^[3]

Good Standing in Syracuse and the Bigger Governance Fight

Monsignor Rossetti is a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, who was on assignment serving as an exorcist in Washington.^[1] Reports on the fallout emphasize that while Cardinal McElroy removed him from Washington’s exorcism ministry and cut ties with the Saint Michael Center, Rossetti remains a priest in good standing with his home diocese. That distinction underlines that this is not a global church declaration that his ministry is invalid or that he is unfit for priestly service; it is a local governance and messaging decision.

The real reason why the Archdiocese of Washington's exorcist was removed from his position for saying: "UFO's & Aliens are Demons"

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a veteran exorcist with decades of experience, warned that many UFO sightings are demonic: "There's no question in my… pic.twitter.com/8TmmAbsm8a

— Interstellar (@InterstellarUAP) June 4, 2026

The Catholic Church has no defined doctrine on the existence of extraterrestrial life, and theologians have long treated that as an open, speculative question.^[3] The conflict here is less about a formal teaching on UFOs and more about how a high‑profile cleric uses his platform in an era when a single video can reach hundreds of thousands of people overnight.^[1][2] Church leaders in Washington concluded that linking UFOs and demons in this way, through an official‑looking ministry channel, blurred the line between personal theological speculation and authoritative Catholic teaching.^[2][3]

Why This Resonates With Wider Distrust of Institutions

For many Americans watching from the outside, the case feeds a familiar unease: powerful institutions move swiftly to discipline one individual while leaving much larger systemic failures untouched. Rossetti’s center focused heavily on helping troubled clergy and responding to growing interest in spiritual warfare and exorcism.^[1][3] Some Catholics now worry that outspoken voices on unpopular or uncomfortable spiritual topics will be silenced not because they are heretical, but because they complicate the tightly managed public image that church elites prefer.^[3]

Across the political spectrum, people see patterns like this in government, corporations, and now religious hierarchies: leaders emphasize “communications discipline,” restrict independent actors, and treat controversial opinions as threats to institutional credibility. Here, a veteran exorcist with decades of service is sharply corrected over a speculative but clearly labeled “personal belief,” while the larger crises of faith, abuse, and institutional decline remain unresolved.^[1][3] That contrast understandably raises questions about priorities, transparency, and who ultimately controls which ideas are allowed into the public square.

Sources:

[1] Web – Priest removed by Cdl. McElroy as exorcist remains in good standing …

[2] Web – Archdiocese of Washington Removes Prominent Exorcist Over …

[3] YouTube – The Truth About Exorcism w/ Msgr. Stephen Rossetti