Cardinal Robert Mcelroy

Cardinal Robert McElroy has offered a different explanation for his removal of Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, differing from the one given in the archdiocese’s original announcement Cardinal Robert McElroy has offered a new explanation for his decision to remove Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington. Speaking to Catholic News Service in an interview conducted on 29 June and released on 8 July, Cardinal McElroy said his decision should not be interpreted as a judgment on unidentified flying objects or extraterrestrial life, but rather reflected his conviction that the ministry of exorcism ought to remain discreet and centred on pastoral care. “It wasn’t touching on the question of UFOs,” the cardinal said. “My major objection is that I think the traditional role of an exorcist is a very private one. It’s a sacred one.” “I think the more traditional approach of an exorcist is a private, within-the-life-of-the-Church ministry to help individuals who are in crisis and seem to be demonically possessed,” Cardinal McElroy told Catholic News Service. “It shouldn’t go beyond that for people who are doing exorcism.” The different explanations in the two statements call into question Cardinal McElroy’s explanation. While the original announcement directly linked the priest’s public comments about UFOs to the action taken against him, the cardinal’s subsequent interview instead focused on the nature of the office itself, arguing that an exorcist’s ministry should remain largely unseen. Msgr. Rossetti had become one of the most prominent Catholic exorcists in the United States through his work with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal and an extensive online presence. The centre’s YouTube channel has attracted more than 146,000 subscribers, while the priest has also built sizeable followings on other social media platforms by discussing exorcism, spiritual warfare and reports of demonic activity. The controversy intensified after a post published in May in which Msgr. Rossetti wrote that “probably many, if not most, UFO sightings are in fact demons”. When the Archdiocese announced his removal in early June, the statement explicitly cited both the comments linking UFOs with demonic activity and the St. Michael Center’s recent use of social media, saying they undermined the Church’s teaching on demons and exorcism. Cardinal McElroy’s later explanation has therefore shifted attention from the substance of Msgr. Rossetti’s claims to the way exorcism is exercised publicly. In his interview, he described exorcism as a ministry entrusted by a bishop in particularly serious cases and suggested that public commentary extending beyond that pastoral responsibility was inconsistent with its traditional character. The importance of discretion is reflected in existing Church practice. Guidance published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops notes that “the preservation of confidentiality is important” in the exercise of exorcism, underscoring the sensitive nature of the ministry and the vulnerability of those who seek its assistance. Following his removal, Msgr. Rossetti expressed sadness at the decision while reaffirming his obedience to the Church. He asked forgiveness “for any ways in which I have failed to remain fully obedient to the Magisterium of the Church” and confirmed that the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal would continue its work independently of the Archdiocese of Washington.

Cardinal Robert McElroy told the Outreach Conference in Washington that the Church has “frequently wounded the LGBT community through judgmentalism and exclusion”, while pointing to Pope Leo XIV and the Synod on Synodality as signs of a new pastoral approach Cardinal Robert McElroy has told a prominent Catholic conference for LGBT Catholics that the Church has “frequently wounded the LGBT community through judgmentalism and exclusion”. The Archbishop of Washington made the remarks during a homily on 20 June at the Outreach Conference, held at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, an annual gathering focused on ministry with LGBT Catholics. He argued that recent developments under Pope Leo XIV and the Synod on Synodality point towards a new approach to pastoral ministry. Addressing delegates, Cardinal McElroy said two recent developments in the life of the Church were particularly significant. The first, he said, was a comment made by Pope Leo XIV during a visit to Africa in April, when the pontiff stated that “the unity or division in the Church should not revolve around sexual matters”. Reflecting on the Pope’s words, Cardinal McElroy suggested that issues relating to sexual morality had often occupied a disproportionate place in Catholic discourse. “Too often, both in magisterial statements and on the popular level, sexual sins have been condemned with an ardour that effectively places them, in the eyes of many believers, at the core of the moral obligations of Christians,” His Eminence said. The Cardinal added that Pope Leo had instead highlighted “the comparative importance of economic justice, war and peace, immigration and racism as key elements of the Christian moral life”. The Cardinal said the second significant development was the publication in May of the report produced by Study Group 9, one of the working groups established during the Synod on Synodality process initiated under Pope Francis. Describing the report as “pathbreaking”, Cardinal McElroy focused on what he characterised as a new anthropological approach emerging from the synodal process. “Pastoral practice […] proceeds from the conviction that the concrete situations in which people find themselves are constitutive dimensions of how doctrine should be formed in the light of the kerygma,” the Archbishop of Washington said, arguing that this represented the most important legacy of the late Pope Francis. According to Cardinal McElroy, Francis sought “to reform our conception of pastoral theology and see it as a core element of coming to understand the […] formation of Catholic teaching”. The Washington archbishop repeated the point later in his address, insisting that pastoral practice should not be viewed merely as the application of pre-existing principles to individual circumstances. “Pastoral practice is not the understanding of how to apply an already formed and often reified set of principles to concrete situations,” he said. “It proceeds from the conviction that the concrete situations in which people find themselves are constitutive dimensions of how doctrine should be formed in the light of the kerygma.” His homily came a day after he issued a letter welcoming participants to the conference, which opened in the US capital this week. In the message, dated 19 June, Cardinal McElroy linked the gathering both to the legacy of Pope Francis and to developments during the opening phase of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. “I am delighted to welcome you to the 2026 Outreach Conference here in Washington,” he wrote. “For I know that the Holy Spirit will be profoundly present in our meetings and discussions at this key time in the history of our Church and our nation.” The Cardinal said the conference was taking place at a moment when “the pastoral foundations laid by Pope Francis for authentic ministry to and with the LGBT community are being deepened and refined by Pope Leo”. He also referred to the recently published report of Study Group 9, describing it as a significant contribution to the Church’s reflection on ministry and holiness. “And the conference comes directly after the release of Study Group 9 of the Synod on Synodality, which places LGBT ministry within a new paradigm that powerfully integrates the experience of faith-filled and diverse disciples as a basis for understanding the call to holiness in all of its concreteness,” he wrote. “This new paradigm points to the true pathway for establishing Todos, Todos, Todos in our Church, ever ancient and ever new.” The phrase “Todos, Todos, Todos” became widely associated with Pope Francis after he used it repeatedly during World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023 while emphasising that the Church is open to all. Cardinal McElroy concluded his letter by telling delegates that they would gather for “prayer, thanksgiving and dialogue”. “And God will be in our midst,” the Cardinal wrote. Cardinal McElroy has long been among the most outspoken senior churchmen in the United States on questions relating to pastoral care for LGBT Catholics. Since his appointment to Washington, he has continued to advocate a more welcoming approach while stressing the importance of dialogue and accompaniment. The Outreach Conference has become one of the most prominent annual events dedicated to Catholic ministry with LGBT people in the United States. Its programme includes liturgies, keynote addresses, panel discussions and workshops focused on LGBT ministry in the Catholic Church. Topics scheduled for discussion include theology and LGBT Catholics, parish outreach, mental health, Scripture, women in the Church and the experiences of transgender Catholics. Among the keynote speakers are Kerry Robinson, president and chief executive of Catholic Charities USA, and the Jesuit moral theologian Fr James Keenan. The gathering began on 19 June with a welcome Mass celebrated by Fr Martin and will conclude on 21 June with a commissioning service. Outreach traces its origins to Fr Martin’s wider ministry to Catholics who identify as LGBT and their families. The initiative emerged from work that followed publication of his 2017 book Building a Bridge , which called for greater dialogue between the Church and LGBT Catholics. Outreach launched formally in 2022 and has since organised conferences, published articles and hosted discussions focused on pastoral accompaniment and inclusion within the life of the Church. Previous Outreach events received messages of support from Pope Francis, who repeatedly encouraged pastoral outreach and accompaniment for LGBT Catholics and their families. In one message to participants, Pope Francis wrote: “I am glad that Cardinal Gregory will celebrate the Mass; I will be spiritually with him and with all of you, united in prayer.” Pope Francis also told Outreach that God “does not disown any of his children”, while encouraging ministry to LGBT Catholics and their families.

A reported directive from Cardinal Robert McElroy sets out policy on altar rails and kneelers in the Archdiocese of Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington has reportedly directed that altar rails are not to be installed or reinstalled in churches across the Archdiocese of Washington. The reported directive, first highlighted by journalist Christine Niles of Stella Maris Media, notes from a recent meeting with priests that discouraged the use of temporary kneelers for the reception of Holy Communion. According to Niles, concerns raised during the discussion included the potential disruption of Communion processions and the possibility that the use of kneelers could transform what Church law regards as an individual option into a more widespread practice. The Archdiocese of Washington has not publicly issued a statement on the reported policy, and no formal decree has yet appeared among official archdiocesan communications. The issue centres on the manner in which Catholics receive Holy Communion. In the United States, the norm approved by the bishops and confirmed by the Holy See is for communicants to receive standing after making a gesture of reverence. At the same time, universal Church law makes clear that Catholics who choose to kneel for Communion are not to be denied the sacrament on that account. The reported Washington policy comes after discussions in several American dioceses over altar rails, kneelers and other traditional liturgical furnishings. In recent months, the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, became the focus of Vatican attention after Bishop Michael Martin ordered that altar rails, kneelers and prie-dieus were not to be used for the reception of Communion in public celebrations. The move caused more than 30 diocesan priests to submit formal dubia to the Vatican regarding the scope of episcopal authority over such practices. Bishop Martin wrote in a pastoral letter issued last December that the norms approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops “do not envision the use of altar rails, kneelers, or prie-dieus for the reception of Communion”, arguing that their use contradicts the normative posture established by the conference. Supporters of altar rails and kneeling during Communion argue that such practices visibly express belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and foster a spirit of reverence. Among the most prominent advocates has been Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan, who has repeatedly encouraged the faithful to receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue. In his book Dominus Est – It is the Lord! , Bishop Schneider wrote: “Would it not be more liturgically proper if, at the moment of Holy Communion … they would greet Him and receive Him on their knees?” He argued that kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament provides a visible witness to the Church’s faith in the Eucharistic mystery. Cardinal Raymond Burke has likewise spoken in favour of the practice, pointing to the example set by Pope Benedict XVI during his pontificate. Reflecting on Benedict’s decision to distribute Communion to kneeling communicants, Cardinal Burke said: “The Holy Father is giving a very clear lesson by his own insistence that the faithful receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue.” Similar views have been expressed by Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He has urged Catholics to receive Communion on the tongue while kneeling, saying: “It is to simply know that we are before God himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving.” Other bishops have emphasised the importance of maintaining the posture established by episcopal conferences for the sake of unity during the Communion procession. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago has similarly stressed that the faithful process together as an expression of their identity as the Body of Christ and receive Holy Communion standing in accordance with the norm approved for the United States. He has described the practice as a “powerful symbolic expression” of ecclesial unity. The reported Washington directive has attracted particular attention because it concerns one of the largest and most influential dioceses in the United States. Cardinal McElroy, who was installed as Archbishop of Washington in March 2025 after serving for a decade as Bishop of San Diego, has become one of the most prominent voices among the American hierarchy. The controversy also follows another recent decision by the cardinal that generated headlines. Earlier this month, he removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington and ended the archdiocese’s affiliation with the St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal after comments linking UFO phenomena to demonic activity. Cardinal McElroy said the statements “gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism”.

Cardinal Robert McElroy has removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington after the priest suggested that many reported UFO sightings could be demonic manifestations. The archdiocese also ended its affiliation with the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal Cardinal Robert McElroy has removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington after the priest publicly suggested that many reported UFO sightings could be demonic manifestations. The Archdiocese of Washington announced that Cardinal McElroy had also ended all affiliation between the archdiocese and the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal in Washington, D.C., which is directed by Monsignor Rossetti. In a statement released by the archdiocese, Cardinal McElroy said that comments made by the priest linking unidentified flying objects to demonic activity, together with the centre’s recent use of social media, “gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism”. The move follows remarks made by Monsignor Rossetti during a YouTube video published on 29 May in which he discussed reports of unidentified aerial phenomena. “Probably many, if not most, UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Monsignor Rossetti said. The priest, who has long been associated with exorcism ministry in the United States, added that he personally does not believe intelligent life exists on other planets and argued that some reported UFO encounters resembled experiences he had witnessed during exorcisms. According to Monsignor Rossetti, demons ordinarily remain hidden but can sometimes manifest themselves in unusual ways. He pointed to reports of shadowy figures, unexplained lights and mysterious orbs, claiming that such phenomena often mirrored accounts heard during deliverance ministry. He also recounted a case involving a woman who identified a photograph of a UFO as depicting a demonic presence. Monsignor Rossetti, 74, is a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse in New York and has spent much of his ministry working in the fields of psychology, priestly formation and spiritual renewal. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he served in Air Force intelligence before entering seminary and being ordained a priest in 1984. He later earned a doctorate in counselling psychology from Boston College and became one of the best-known American priests working at the intersection of psychology and Catholic pastoral ministry. From 1996 until 2009, he served as president and chief executive of Saint Luke Institute in Maryland, a treatment and education centre specialising in the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of clergy and religious. He subsequently joined the faculty of The Catholic University of America in Washington. The Archdiocese of Washington has not indicated whether a successor will be appointed to fulfil the role previously held by Monsignor Rossetti. The statement issued by Cardinal McElroy did not elaborate further on the decision beyond citing the priest’s remarks on UFOs and concerns about the centre’s social media activity. While Catholic teaching affirms the existence of the devil and permits the practice of exorcism under strict ecclesiastical regulation, the Church has generally urged caution regarding alleged supernatural phenomena and has not endorsed theories linking reports of UFOs to demonic manifestations.