Fr. Chad Ripperger, a prominent Catholic exorcist based in the Denver Archdiocese who has drawn millions of social media views through interviews and public talks, has agreed to a one-year break from public speaking following a meeting with Archbishop James Golka. The pause, described by the archdiocese as a media fast, will keep Ripperger out of interviews and off speaking circuits while he devotes his time to the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, the religious community he founded, and the people it serves.
The arrangement was confirmed in reporting from The Virginian-Pilot, which detailed how Golka met with Ripperger and asked him to consider stepping back from public engagements. Ripperger agreed to the one-year break, according to a statement attributed to the archdiocese, and the two are expected to revisit the arrangement at the end of the year. The archdiocese said Ripperger remains a priest in good standing and agreed to the request. The archdiocese declined to provide details about what led to the archbishop's request, and efforts to reach Ripperger through the archdiocese were unsuccessful at the time of the Virginian-Pilot's reporting.
A Growing Online Following Meets Institutional Caution
Ripperger was ordained in 1997 through the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and went on to found the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, also known as the Doloran Fathers, which is based in Keenesburg, Colorado, according to OSV News. The semi-contemplative society works in cooperation with local diocesan bishops.
That low-profile model stands in contrast to the online reach Ripperger built in recent years. Per the Virginian-Pilot's reporting, he discussed aliens during a nearly three-hour interview on the Shawn Ryan Show that drew about 2.8 million views, telling the host that aliens are “just demons.” He also said Nikola Tesla probably received messages from demons, described evolution as scientifically, theologically and philosophically problematic, and appeared on the Tucker Carlson Show. Following the archdiocese's October announcement, Ripperger began canceling scheduled public speaking engagements, including a planned April 2027 keynote address at LifeSiteNews's 30th anniversary gala, according to the National Catholic Register, which also noted that the archdiocese framed his withdrawal as a chance to focus on his Keenesburg community.
Golka's First Months Leading Northern Colorado's Catholics
Golka was formally installed as the sixth Archbishop of Denver on March 25, 2026, succeeding retired Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila after being appointed Bishop of Colorado Springs in April 2021, according to Vatican News. He was appointed by Pope Leo XIV in February 2026 to lead northern Colorado's 600,000 Catholics, stepping into a high-profile post just months before asking one of the archdiocese's best-known priests to step back from the spotlight.
Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology at Villanova University, told the Virginian-Pilot that bishops face delicate challenges managing Catholic exorcists who have built large online followings. He said canon law is unclear on how to handle online clergy, and that bishops may be wary of alienating figures with substantial followings. Faggioli added that the church still lacks a clear understanding of what it means to be present on the internet, warning that online Catholic personalities can wield influence that is easily monetized and theologically dangerous, and that focusing attention on the charisma of one or a few individuals is problematic.
A Second Exorcist Pulled From the Public Eye
Ripperger's media fast began about four months after a similar move in Washington, D.C., where Cardinal Robert W. McElroy removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti as the archdiocese's exorcist and severed ties with his St. Michael Center, according to the Virginian-Pilot's account. Rossetti had served as Washington's exorcist for 19 years and built a massive online following before McElroy removed him after Rossetti posted a viral video expressing his personal belief that many UFO sightings are demonic manifestations, as detailed by The Washington Times.
McElroy later explained publicly that the removal was not primarily about Rossetti's UFO opinions but reflected Church teaching that the ministry of an exorcist is meant to be a private and sacred pastoral role, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB has emphasized the private and confidential nature of an exorcist's role. Guidelines published by the International Association of Exorcists instruct exorcists to avoid media sensationalism, commercialization and public exposure.
Exorcist Oversight and Referral Protocols
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy describes an exorcist's ministry as entrusted by the bishop.
Elsewhere in the country, the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey has taken its own steps to formalize how priests handle the subject. A memo issued to priests there called exorcism a pastoral act of the Church and instructed clergy to treat distressed parishioners respectfully, urge their full participation in Catholic worship, and avoid involvement with occult practices. The memo directed priests to contact the vicar general's office if a parishioner continues to suffer apparent demonic influence after prudent spiritual care, at which point the vicar general's office would launch an evaluation of whether a formal exorcism is warranted.
