BREAKING Pope Leo XIV Tells Exorcists Accompany the "truly possessed by the evil one with prayer and the invocation of Christ’s effective presence"

Pope Leo XIV had a message of appreciation on Tuesday for exorcist priests gathered at the 15th International Association of Exorcists (AIE) held from 15 to 20 September at the “Fraterna Domus” Spirituality Centre in Sacrofano, near Rome. The meeting brought together around 300 priests and exorcist assistants from all continents.

At the opening of the conference, Father Francesco Bamonte, Vice President of the International Association of Exorcists and moderator of the conference, read the message of good wishes and the apostolic blessing sent by Pope Leo XIV to the organizers, speakers, and all participants. The Pope reminded them that the ministry of the exorcist is “delicate” yet “most necessary,” encouraging priests “to live it both as a ministry of liberation and of consolation, accompanying the faithful truly possessed by the evil one with prayer and the invocation of Christ’s effective presence, so that (...) the Lord may grant victory over Satan.”
DETAILS of the EXORCIST CONFERENCE:
The 15th International Conference of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) was held from September 15 to 20, 2025, at the "Fraterna Domus" Spirituality Center in Sacrofano, near Rome. The AIE 2025 International Conference, which takes place every two years, alternating with the national conference, was attended by approximately 300 exorcist priests from every continent and exorcist auxiliaries.

In his opening remarks, Archbishop Karel Orlita, President of the International Association of Exorcists and exorcist of the Diocese of Brno (Czech Republic), recalled the beauty of ecclesial communion within which the ministry of exorcist is situated, firmly rooted in the Gospel. This ministry was a reflection of the Association's members' moments of discussion, sharing, and fellowship during the Conference. The President emphasized the importance of this ministry as a concrete sign of the Church's love for our brothers and sisters who suffer. Hence the importance of this service, supported by its Bishop and encouraged by the ongoing formation provided by the International Association of Exorcists, both in Italy and abroad, at the invitation of the Episcopal Conferences. Archbishop Orlita then recalled the official approval of the new AIE Statutes by the Dicastery for the Clergy on March 25, 2025, as a sign of confirmation and encouragement for the mission of the Association, which recently surpassed one thousand members.

In his presentation, Archbishop Aurelio García Macías, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, addressed the issue of the revised Ritual of Exorcisms, a project that directly involved members of the AIE. Many points were addressed, including: the types of extraordinary diabolical action; the role of the exorcist; the richness of signs; and the correction of any typos and errors in the Ritual. All of this was undertaken with a view to shared improvement of the ritual and in awareness of the centrality of Christ, since in the rite He is the Church, and exorcism is an ancient liturgical celebration "in persona Christi." The significance of the Church's accompaniment of the faithful suffering at the hands of the devil, and who, in suffering, share in Christ's sufferings, was also central to the homily delivered by His Eminence Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, during the Eucharistic celebration he presided over at the conclusion of the first day of the Conference.
At the opening of the second day, Father Francesco Bamonte remembered Father Gabriele Amorth, exactly nine years after his passing. Father Amorth was the principal founder and president of the International Association of Exorcists, promoting and organizing its first gathering in 1991 and its first international conference in 1994. The remembrance of Father Amorth was followed by a presentation by American exorcist Father John Szada. Father Szada is also a psychologist and psychotherapist, and in his presentation he addressed the encounter between mental health professionals and the demonic. He emphasized the complexity of human nature in the suffering person and emphasized the need for discernment that, taking into account psychological and spiritual symptoms, reaches a unified perspective, also making use of modern diagnostic criteria. Hence the need for an open mind, avoiding hasty diagnoses, where faith can integrate the assessment tools offered by science.
Brazilian exorcist Msgr. Rubens Miraglia Zani, in his next presentation, addressed the topic of alleged "wandering souls" that manifest themselves in exorcisms. He warned against all spiritual phenomena that contradict the contents of Divine Revelation and Doctrine. Demonic delusion also makes use of "spectral manifestations" whose purpose is to prevent proper discernment of the devil's extraordinary action, leading people to believe that the soul of a deceased person is possessing the person. The belief, borrowed from spiritualism, that the soul experiences an intermediate state after death, as if there were a suspension of divine judgment, was condemned by a document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1979.

Father Piermario Burgo, exorcist and canonist of the Archdiocese of Brindisi-Ostuni, as well as coordinator of the Italian-language secretariat of the AIE, examined the major work of the German Jesuit theologian Petrus Thyraeus (1546-1601): Daemoniaci, hoc est De obsessis a spiritibus daemoniorum hominibus (1598). Father Burgo illustrated the doctrinal aspects and phenomenological perspectives of what he defined as the first manual of exorcistic practice of the modern age, concluding and updating his exposition with an examination of the principal causes of subjection to the devil and of his possible extraordinary action: the pact, mediumship, and membership in sectarian groups.

French exorcist Father Jean-Baptiste Vian, a member of the AIE board, opened the third day of the conference with a presentation on certain aspects of voodoo and the elements of discernment in exorcistic practice. After an overview of the content of this syncretic cult of African origin, practiced primarily in Haiti by the descendants of African slaves deported to the island, whose initiatory rites are deeply intertwined with social reality, even legitimizing politics, Father Vian highlighted the dangerous implications of voodoo, culminating in practices of magic, exorcism, submission, and consecration to spirits, that is, demons, even of minors and children. When faced with situations of suffering resulting from voodoo practice, exorcist are also called to listen, leading patients back to divine mercy and grace.

On the occasion of the conference, His Excellency Guy de Kérimel, Archbishop of Toulouse, presented the book "Protection, Deliverance, Guérison. Celebrations and Prayers." Archbishop de Kérimel emphasized that in France, too, more and more people are turning to occult practitioners. This book, the result of the joint work of the French National Office of Exorcists and the SNPLS (National Service for Liturgical and Sacramental Pastoral), is intended as a useful tool for exorcists and all the faithful who care about the Christian community and its spiritual growth, with the aim of stemming and combating the magical mentality that breeds error among the people of God. Furthermore, it fits within the pastoral perspective of exorcism, which, transcending its specific scope of service, helps to define the horizon of faith.

Father Marcello Lanza, exorcist of the Diocese of Acerra and coordinator of exorcists in Campania, gave a detailed presentation on "phenomenological aspects of the exorcist's ministry." The presentation focused on exorcism practice, with specific and concrete reference to the speaker's personal experience. He also placed phenomenology, understood as a "theology of experience," within a doctrinal and spiritual framework. This was also done with the aim of preventing the theological marginalization of the exorcist ministry.

His Excellency Monsignor Renato Tarantelli, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome, also attended the afternoon conference, expressing his deep concern for the ministry and conveying greetings from His Eminence Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome.

The fourth day of the conference began with a presentation by Friar Benigno Palilla, exorcist of the Archdiocese of Palermo and coordinator of the exorcists of Sicily. Friar Benigno addressed the dialogue between science and faith in exorcism, exploring themes he developed in a recent book. The presentation focused on the importance of the contribution of experts in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology in discernment. This is achieved through an epistemologically sound approach, and by not excluding the preternatural element, as explained in the subsequent presentation by Dr. Salvatore Devy Franzino, a gynecologist and longtime collaborator of Friar Benigno. He illustrated the work of the Palermo team's counseling center, characterized by collaboration between scientific experts and priests, where the discernment phase of each individual case is based on rigorous diagnostic criteria. Naturally, as stated in the Guidelines of the Ministry of Exorcism, moral certainty regarding the presence of the extraordinary action of the evil one always belongs to the exorcist priest.

The Eucharistic celebration that followed the morning's work was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, who in his homily recalled that serving in the Church is receiving a gift that must be preserved and renewed in humility. The exorcist priest works with this gift, which belongs to Christ and the Church.

The afternoon presentation by Father Francesco Bamonte, exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, addressed the pastoral harm caused by parapsychology. Human nature in general, and the human mind in particular, are incapable of transcending its creaturely limitations. Mankind, the speaker noted, can transcend these limits only under the influence of God or the devil. The latter's actions always have a destructive purpose, even if this purpose is not immediately apparent. Parapsychology, devoid of any scientific basis, claims to explain so-called "paranormal" phenomena with its "rationalist" interpretations. These are none other than those phenomena addressed by exorcists or described by Christian mystics. By giving credence to the unfounded claims of parapsychology, several priests have left many serious situations unresolved, abandoning people in need of an exorcist to suffer, or even handing them over, in some cases, to so-called paragnostics, who were sometimes merely psychologists, but sometimes—as has been confirmed—were even mediums. This attitude has resulted, in various countries, in grave pastoral harm to those faithful who, caught up in extraordinary phenomena of diabolical origin, needed the assistance of the ministry of exorcism, which they were unjustly deprived of because what they experienced was attributed to purely natural factors, when in reality they were not.

The final day of work opened with a presentation by Mexican exorcist Father Andrés Esteban López Ruiz, who addressed the phenomenon of New Age and its dangerous impact on postmodern society. A syncretic spiritual movement, New Age draws on theosophy, esotericism, and neo-Gnosticism, proposing an open belief system in which humanity and the cosmos are encompassed within a holistic and relativistic vision. It clearly transcends Christian morality, with the harmful consequences that result.

Palermo-born exorcist, psychologist, and psychotherapist Fra Mauro Billetta has proposed, from both a pastoral and scientific perspective, the usefulness of differential analysis for correctly distinguishing between pathologies and extraordinary demonic activity. The most striking example is that of so-called diabolical obsession, whose symptoms closely resemble those of obsessive-compulsive disorders. This diagnostic approach is applied daily by the aforementioned team coordinated by Fra Benigno Palilla and successfully combines a spirit of charity in serving those who suffer with a correct, unprejudiced anthropological perspective.

The closing address of the international conference was delivered by researcher Beatrice Ugolini, a criminologist and consultant for GRIS. She concisely illustrated the relationship between neo-occultism and artificial intelligence, highlighting how the so-called "artificial intelligence" present online facilitates, for example, the emergence of new magical-operational tools, the development of novel divination techniques thanks to algorithms that allow for the collection of personal data, and even new forms of necromancy and communication with the dead. All of this falls within what the speaker called "chaos magic," a new approach to occult practices that is detached from traditional categories of magic and more open, thanks to modern technology, to creativity and individual experimentation.

The Eucharistic celebration on the last day of the Conference was presided over by the Secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy, His Excellency Monsignor Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, who expressed the Dicastery's gratitude to the mission of the International Association of Exorcists, for the service rendered daily through the fraternal sharing of its members for the benefit of those afflicted by the work of the Devil.

Source: https://www.aieinternational.it/comunicato-stampa-xv-convegno-internazionale-dellassociazione-internazionale-esorcisti/