Exorcists ask Pope Leo for more priests trained to cast out devil

GIULIO NAPOLITANO / AFP

Cécile Séveirac - published on 03/31/26

<em>The International Association of Exorcists warned of the growing number of demonic possessions linked to the occult.</em>

The International Association of Exorcists (AIE) presented a clear request to Pope Leo XIV during a private audience on March 13, 2026: the Church needs more priests trained in exorcism.

Monsignor Karel Orlita, president of the AIE, and Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president and also a member of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, discussed issues related to the ministry of exorcism with the Pope. They emphasized the need for proper training and the availability of a priest exorcist in every diocese around the world.

During the meeting, the AIE handed the Pontiff a report highlighting a deeply concerning issue: the resurgence of cases linked to occultism, esotericism, and Satanism. They also outlined the severe spiritual consequences these practices have on countless individuals.

According to the group, there is a "painful and increasingly widespread situation of people seriously affected by the extraordinary action of the devil as a result of their involvement in occult sects."

"The spread of occultism in its various forms, and of Satanism, unfortunately opens doors and windows to the extraordinary action of the devil in today's world," Father Bamonte told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister agency of Catholic News Agency. "This can cause grave suffering for those who imprudently turn to these practices, through possible cases of possession, vexation, obsession, or diabolical infestation."

Training priests and bishops

To ensure the Church can properly carry out its ministry in this area, the AIE urged the Pope to make sure every diocese worldwide has an active exorcist.

"The Church, as the family of God, has the task of caring for its members in all their needs, even the most extreme at the spiritual level; the exorcist priest is a pastor who offers this help," Father Bamonte explained.

The AIE is specifically calling for better clerical training. The organization recommends teaching seminarians about the "real existence and nature of the demonic world," starting in the seminary.

Furthermore, they advise offering a dedicated course on exorcism ministry for newly appointed bishops. This would help them properly discern whether a given situation in their diocese actually requires an exorcist's intervention.

Discerning between spiritual and psychological illness

The Church firmly affirms the reality of the devil's existence and his action in the world. Exorcism serves as a solemn prayer of the Church that invokes Christ's power to free a person, place, or object from demonic influence.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 1673) specifies that exorcism "is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church."

However, the Church clearly distinguishes genuine cases of possession from psychological illnesses. The Catechism notes that treating psychological illness "is the concern of medical science."

Consequently, close collaboration between exorcists and medical professionals, such as psychiatrists, is often necessary. The AIE strongly recommended this cooperative approach in its recent report to the pope. Most sources estimate that there are currently about 150 priests designated as exorcists in the United States.