, an institution in Washington that ministers to people "in need of
healing and deliverance."
Stephen also serves as an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington. In this
capacity, he had fallen out of favor with his chief shepherd, Cardinal
Robert McElroy, when he speculated that "many, if not most, of these 'UFO sightings' the
Pentagon released in February are in fact demons." Referring in particular
to the speeds beyond human capabilities with which they move, Rossetti
added, "They can do things we can't do."
Back in the spring,
Catholic and Vice President JD Vance, who had
warned the Pope to be careful when talking about religion, expressed his firm conviction, too: "I don't think they're aliens, I
think they're demons."
Cardinal Robert McElroy criticized,
"Statements made by Monsignor Rossetti linking U.F.O.s 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."
What a
coincidence! Exorcism, described in such detail in the oldest Gospel, is
still practiced by the Catholic Church.
Here are four examples of
exorcisms from the Gospel of Mark. As an itinerant preacher, Jesus traveled
extensively with his disciples. This happened when he came to Capernaum:
Mark 1:23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he
cried out, 24 saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of
Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of
God!" 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" 26
And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud
voice, he came out of him ... 32 At evening, when the sun had set, they
brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And
the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who
were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not
allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Later in the
country of the Gadarenes:
Mark 5:1 Then they came to the
other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had
come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with
an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could
bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with
shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the
shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always,
night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and
cutting himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and
worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I
to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that
You do not torment me." 8 For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean
spirit!" 9 Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying,
"My name is Legion; for we are many." 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that
He would not send them out of the country. 11 Now a large herd of swine was
feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying,
"Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." 13 And at once Jesus gave
them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine
(there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep
place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
And Jesus helped a
caring pagan mother:
Mark 7:24 From there He arose and
went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no
one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young
daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His
feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept
asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her,
"Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's
bread and throw it to the little dogs." 28 And she answered and said to Him,
"Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's
crumbs." 29 Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has
gone out of your daughter." 30 And when she had come to her house, she found
the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
And
finally we clearly have a case of epilepsy near the town of Caesarea
Philippi, where Jesus' disciples fail to cast out the unclean spirit:
Mark 9:14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around
them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him,
all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And
He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 Then one of
the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute
spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the
mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples,
that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and
said, “O faithless[b] generation, how long shall I be with you? How long
shall I [c]bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him.
And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on
the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father,
"How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22
And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy
him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who
believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with
tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the
people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it,
"Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no
more!" 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of
him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But
Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He
had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we
not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing
but prayer and fasting."
This final exorcism, in which Jesus' disciples fail, describes a classic
case of epilepsy. Modern medicine knows the causes and how to manage the
seizures. Still, we should never forget Shakespeare's quote from Hamlet, Act
1, Scene 5: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are
dreamt of in your philosophy."
"The Archdiocese of Washington announced today that Robert Cardinal McElroy
has removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse,
N.Y., as an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington, and ended all
affiliation between the archdiocese and the Saint Michael Center for
Spiritual Renewal located in Washington, D.C."
"Cardinal McElroy
said that statements made by Monsignor Rossetti 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."
What
a difference between the small-minded bishop and the open-minded Pope.
Referring
to data and images from the James Webb Space Telescope at a meeting with
astronomy students at the Vatican last summer, Pope Leo XIV expressed his
"mysterious joy" that he experiences from studying the universe: "For the
first time, we are able to peer deeply into the atmosphere of exoplanets
where life may be developing and study the nebulae where planetary systems
themselves are forming."
Finally, here is Msgr. Stephen J
Rossetti's submissive response on his firing :
"I am saddened by
the decision of the Archdiocese of Washington to cut its affiliation with
St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (SMC). I ask 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". 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. Also, I will continue to encourage all to do so as well. As I
often say: "Stay in the Boat!", that is, stay in the barque of Peter, it
will lead you safely home. I am grateful for 19 years of ministering in the
Archdiocese of Washington as its exorcist, and I thank the Archdiocese for
its support and blessing all these years. We will remember the Cardinal and
all in ADW in our prayers for its important ministry. SMC plans to continue
its ministry elsewhere."
God's abundant blessings be yours,
Msgr.
Stephen J Rossetti
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