Archbishop removes D.C. priest as exorcist over comments linking UFOs to demons

Nbcwashington · Jun 04, 2026 · 374 words · By David Crary; The Associated Press

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What to know about Archbishop removes D.C. priest as exorcist over comments linking UFOs to demons

The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.

Claims checked 6

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St.

Common ground

Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Archbishop removes D.C. priest as exorcist over comments linking UFOs to demons?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/washington-archbishop-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms he is a Monsignor and an exorcist, there is no specific evidence in the provided search results verifying the exact number of Instagram followers (148,000) or his specific credentials as a psychologist.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is an incomplete list of notable individuals who converted to Catholicism from a different religion or no religion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_converts_to_Catholicis…

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web search NEUTRAL — The title monsignor has also been given to certain priests whom the local bishop wishes to honor or give special recognition. Only the pope can designate a priest as monsignor, but it is almost always…
https://www.dmdiocese.org/news/qa-what-does-the-term-monsign…

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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · The meaning of MONSIGNOR is a Roman Catholic prelate having a dignity or titular distinction (as of domestic prelate or protonotary apostolic) usually conferred by the pope —used as a tit…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monsignor

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 2: “In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources (IBTimes UK and another news report) explicitly state that in 2023, Rossetti told the Associated Press (AP) there was an increasing appetite for information on demonic possession and exorcism.

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web search NEUTRAL — Monsignor Stephen Rossetti's controversial UFO-demon claims lead to removal.In 2023, Rossetti told The Associated Press there was growing public interest in exorcism and possession cases.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/catholic-exorcist-removed-ufo-demo…

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web search NEUTRAL — Catholic archbishop of DC removes Monsignor Stephen Rossetti for 'linking UFOs to demonic presence'.In 2023, he told the AP there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic poss…
https://www.newser.com/story/390405/archbishop-boots-exorcis…

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web search NEUTRAL — Cardinal Robert McElroy announced that Monsignor Stephen Rossetti had been stripped of his role as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington after making the claims in a since-deleted social media…
https://www.thedailybeast.com/washington-dc-archbishop-pulls…

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Claim 3: “The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (IBTimes UK, Yahoo, and other news reports) confirm that Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist. Wikipedia also confirms Robert McElroy is the Archbishop of Washington as of 2025.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Archdiocese of Washington (Latin: Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Vashingtonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church for the District of Columbia and se…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdiocese_of_Washington

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Walter McElroy (born February 5, 1954) is an American Catholic prelate serving as Archbishop of Washington since 2025. He previously served as Bishop of San Diego from 2015 to 2025. He was made…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McElroy_(cardinal)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Theodore Edgar McCarrick (July 7, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American former Catholic prelate who was dismissed and laicized by Pope Francis in 2019 after being convicted of sexual misconduct in a c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_McCarrick

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.”

CORROBORATED

The removal of Rossetti and the cutting of ties with his center are reported across multiple news sources in the web search results, linking the action to the Archbishop's decision.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Archdiocese of Baltimore (Latin: Archidiœcesis Baltimorensis) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and western Maryland in the United States. It is the metropo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdiocese_of_Baltimore

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Archdiocese of Newark (Latin: Archidiœcesis Novarcensis) is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The mother church is the Cathedral Basilica of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdiocese_of_Newark

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim includes irrelevant results about Microsoft and a different center in the Philippines. There is no specific evidence in the provided text describing the specialization of the Washington-based St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael, also called Archangel Michael or Michael the Taxiarch, is an archangel and the warrior of God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam while additionally being venerated as a saint in some Christi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism is a Roman Catholic facility in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is touted to be the first exorcism center in Asia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Michael_Center_for_Spiri…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Spiritual Exercises (Latin: Exercitia spiritualia), composed 1522–1524, are a set of Christian meditations, contemplations, and prayers written by Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th-century Spanish Cathol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources (FOX 5 Atlanta, Yahoo, and another commentary piece) specifically confirm that Rossetti posted a video on Facebook on May 29 addressing UFOs and aliens.

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web search NEUTRAL — 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 e…
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/priest-removed-exorcist-aft…

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web search NEUTRAL — Rossetti's video collapsed them. He moved from "UFO sightings" to "demons" in one breath, citing Ephesians 6:12. He may be partially right. He is also overclaiming.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/monsignor-rossetti-ufos-disce…

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web search NEUTRAL — Monsignor Stephen Rossetti was removed as an exorcist after linking UFO sightings to demonic activity.In a video published on Facebook on Friday, May 29, Rossetti said “there is a danger here” as he a…
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/catholic-priest-removed-exorcist-l…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.