The Hidden Life of Exorcists

Recent Catholic news tells us that Fr. Chad Ripperger has been asked by his archbishop, James Golka of Denver, to take a yearlong hiatus from public speaking and interviews. Since then, Catholic pundits have been opining as to why this might be: is it a punishment for a canonical crime, real or imagined? Is it because the hierarchy wants him silenced? Is it his teachings, which are controversial in a modernist-infused Church? Is it spiritual warfare? Is it because of a real pastoral need in Fr. Ripperger’s community?

We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. St. Thomas Aquinas talks about the vice of curiositas—being too curious about things that are not ours to know. In this case, ignorance is bliss. We pray for him, and we move on.

But many Catholics are afflicted with this vice of curiosity in regard to the many celebrity exorcists in the Church today. The devil is real, without a doubt, and there are certain steps we must take to avoid falling into his traps—we need to be aware of spiritual warfare and our weapons against the Evil One. But I see an unhealthy curiosity about exorcisms in the Church right now. With the public lives of Fr. Ripperger, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, and Fr. Carlos Martins, there is a new cult of celebrity exorcists which people turn to for a rather morbid curiosity—sometimes for their own edification, but just as frequently with a shallow fascination about the supernatural world.

I can’t deny that exorcisms and the demonic are fascinating—I see this in my own speaking and teaching. When I speak about exorcisms and spiritual warfare, people sit up and take notes. When I speak about the Eucharist—the true Body and Blood of God Himself—and the Resurrection—the only time in human history when God, having become man, rose from the dead by His own power—people yawn and roll their eyes. Evil is always more fascinating, more interesting than good—but a good Christian should focus much more on the victory Christ has already won than upon our Enemy. Yes, recognize that the Devil is out there and wants our destruction. But we win only by the hard, and often uninteresting, work of prayer, penance, and charity.

I know that these priests have done great good—I don’t want to neglect the very excellent work of deliverance and teaching that they have undertaken. In a world often disbelieving of demonic realities, their work has awoken the Faithful to the reality of a spiritual realm long ignored in the post-Vatican II malaise. For this, I am grateful.

But I was always taught that exorcists should remain anonymous, lest they become boastful of their own experiences with the demonic. I have had the privilege of assisting with an exorcism (although I am not an exorcist myself) and the exorcists with whom I worked purposely kept a low profile and did not advertise themselves or their work. When they would speak or teach, they did so as priests—without trading on their role as exorcists. The exorcist in our diocese currently is known to only a few select people, lest he become the object of an unhealthy curiosity about demonic realities. Unfortunately, celebrity exorcists foster such curiositas.

Further, being an exorcist in the Church does not give a priest automatic holiness, nor does it grant him infallibility, even on topics dealing with spiritual warfare. I hear many parishioners tell me, “Well, Fr. Ripperger says…” as if it were Gospel truth. He has much good to say—but there are a few things that he has claimed with which I have a charitable disagreement. His position as an exorcist does not mean he has more theological accuracy or authority. Any time he speaks about something not officially defined by the Church (such as claiming that Harry Potter is actually demonic), it is important to distinguish that it is his personal opinion, not Church teaching. Granted, his experience has taught him many things, and he may be well suited to opine on such topics. But even he admitted, from his perspective, “The Devil isn’t under every rock. Just every other rock.” So, perhaps his experience as an exorcist has also colored his view of popular culture and the world at large. Discernment is needed, as in all things—and merely because a man is an exorcist does not assure his opinions of inerrancy.

This move by Fr. Ripperger’s bishop may be a step to reimagining the role of an exorcist—not as one who writes famous books or gives interviews, but as one who focuses on the day-to-day, mundane-but-essential work of actually casting Satan out of people’s lives. Any good priest, especially an exorcist, should want to shun the limelight and live out his vocation in hiddenness and quiet faithfulness to his duties. Perhaps his bishop is giving this good priest the opportunity to do just that.

Yes, people need to know about the Devil. But all we need to know is already in Scripture and Tradition. Too much further dabbling could be an unhealthy curiosity—one that possibly opens us up to demonic influence in our own lives!