The head of the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, has removed a prominent priest from his role as an exorcist after the cleric publicly suggested that many reported UFO sightings may be manifestations of demonic activity.

In a statement issued Wednesday, McElroy announced that Monsignor Stephen Rossetti would no longer serve as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington. The archdiocese also said it was severing its relationship with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based ministry led by Rossetti.

McElroy said Rossetti’s remarks and the organization’s recent social media activity conflicted with official Church teaching regarding spiritual warfare and exorcism.

“Statements linking UFOs to demonic presence, together with the Center’s recent use of social media, gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism,” the cardinal said.

The controversy stemmed from comments Rossetti made in a video posted to social media last week, in which he discussed unidentified flying objects and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Rossetti warned viewers that demons often conceal their actions and suggested that some unexplained phenomena could have a spiritual origin.

“As an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger,” Rossetti said in the video. “Demons like to hide. They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”

He further argued that evil spirits could influence human behavior and events without being detected.

“It’s my personal belief that probably many, if not most, of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti said.

At the same time, Rossetti emphasized that belief in extraterrestrial life is not incompatible with Catholic teaching. He said Catholics are free to believe that life may exist elsewhere in the universe, although he personally remains skeptical that extraterrestrial life exists.

The Archdiocese of Washington has not indicated whether Rossetti will continue serving in other ministerial capacities. The decision reflects the Church’s effort to ensure that public discussions involving exorcism and spiritual matters remain consistent with official Catholic doctrine.