The Disobedience of Fr. Ripperger
Divination and the Church's exorcist problem
It’s been decades since I emerged from the influence of the occult. That’s a rather long story of metanoia, and I’ve touched on it elsewhere. I mention it here to explain my particular interest in the growing public scandal of Fr. Chad Ripperger, which impacts not only the spiritual and psychological safety of Catholics, but also millions of non-Catholics who have seen him elevated by prominent media personalities such as Tucker Carlson, Shawn Ryan, and Matt Fradd. The title of this article is strongly worded, but it is not intended as clickbait. The disobedience of an exorcist should raise a legitimate alarm and be discussed earnestly as a threat to the holiness of precious souls. This I know because, while I don’t write as an expert on exorcism, involvement with the occult nearly led to my own spiritual and physical death. A former victim of divination-peddlers, I now feel an urgency to advocate for the vulnerable.
If we are to accept a man’s authority to teach on the most important things, we must first ask from whence comes his authority. In the case of any Catholic exorcist, that authority comes from Christ through the Church. Yet, this authority has limits, as the Church has laws guiding the actions of the exorcist that merit serious attention.
The question few seem to be asking is whether Fr. Ripperger is following those rules and, if perhaps he is not, what are the consequences of such disobedience in the context of his ministry? There has clearly been a shift in his public teaching, and many, including self-described traditionalists, are taking notice.
My purpose is to explore the question of obedience and to caution against the titillating practice of exploring the minds of demons—and then using that information to instruct the faithful. I sincerely hope, dear reader, that this article does not increase traffic to those who act as mouthpieces for the demonic. That would be like sharing photos of “adult entertainment,” ostensibly in opposition. This behavior serves only to multiply the damage. With that in mind, I won’t be linking to any of Father’s work.
The demonic is abusive. Stop disseminating, glorifying, and platforming the abuse.
Keep the hell away from me.
In the early years after conversion, I would lie awake in the dark at night, sweating with fear and begging God to please never manifest to me via any locution or apparition. I knew that I hadn’t been able to distinguish good from evil in the past, and I did not ever want to be faced with that confusion again. A friend tried to reassure me:
“All you have to do is tell a vision to pray a Hail Mary with you, and if it won’t, it’s a demon.”
What she said is not true. Even the most wicked can pray, sometimes with silver tongues and voices like angels. A clerical rapist can celebrate the liturgy, pray perfectly in Latin, sing Gregorian chant, and deceive even the devout. A wicked liar may pronounce the rites of Baptism, including the prayers of exorcism. Prayer is not a magical incantation that lives in formulaic invocations. Rather, true prayer is in the “the raising of one's mind and heart to God” and "vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.” (CCC)
The first time Fr. Ripperger casually mentioned his discourse with demons during exorcisms (and flippantly threw out their names and cited them as a source for his knowledge of the demonic) was the last time I intentionally listened to him.
And I was angry.
I had no warning that I was going to be instructed by the tongues of liars and thieves. I had not given consent. It was a violation. Keep the hell away from me! This was not profanity when I said it, but a literal command to the most popular exorcist in the world from the middle of my kitchen. Since then, I have seen Father’s content pop up seemingly everywhere, and it is often and increasingly objectionable as he offhandedly recalls the words of demonic encounters and places the burden of such knowledge upon the little ones of Jesus’ flock.
He continually seeks to elevate his profile and teachings, casually sharing gossipy bits about this demon and that devil everywhere he goes, and doing so with an air of authority as if to imply: listen to me because I have special knowledge of the enemy. Does he really? And what advantage is it to a cleric or to the faithful to have the words of such demons as a source of knowledge? This type of special gnosis—and specifically that gained by divination—has been condemned by the Church since her infancy.
Rules of engagement
Father Ripperger’s content is peppered with the babble of demons. From his own accounts, he’s chatty with them in a relational sense. His sensational words are easy clickbait titles for content creators who know what excites the curiosity of the faithful:
“How Demons Think”
”Fr. Ripperger Reveals Beelzubub’s True Identity”
”What a Demon Called Mary’s Greatest Moment”
”How Demons React When Saints Appear”
”Fr. Ripperger Claims the Demons revealed THIS to him”
”Demons HATE Gregorian Chant”
But what does the Church say about this phenomenon? We haven’t heard so far from Rome or from Father’s ordinary in the Diocese of Denver. What we do know is that the Church has strict laws governing the engagement of exorcists with the demonic. The guidelines are spelled out in Canon Law and in the ritual text, Exorcisms and Related Supplications. Any disobedience to those guidelines not only puts those involved in the exorcism in danger, but also everyone under a priest’s spiritual care. Because of the viral nature of modern media, that “care” is disseminated to millions, including those who are mentally or spiritually vulnerable and who have no immediate means of obtaining responsible direction.
Not all exorcists are of one mind about the work. What does a laywoman do when she is faced with conflicting teachings from notable exorcists? She looks to the mind and heart of the Church.
Engaging with the demonic is disobedience.
The Church’s guidelines for exorcisms indicate that verbal engagement between an exorcist and the demonic should be little to none. In the old rite, he is limited to asking only a very few and specific questions that must relate directly to the exorcism. In the new rite, they are dispensed with entirely. Even allowing for the permissions of the traditional rite, he is still frequently out of bounds.
From the Praenotanda to the Rite of Exorcism:
14. The exorcist must not digress into senseless prattle nor ask superfluous questions or such as are prompted by curiosity, particularly if they pertain to hidden or future matters, all of which have nothing to do with his office. Instead, he will bid the unclean spirit keep silence and answer only when asked.
In a video for the instruction of exorcists, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, chief exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, explains (emphasis added):
Even when you think they’re telling the truth, they’re [the demons are] probably not. So have them close their mouths. You don’t really need to get information from them…
Unless God commands them to tell the truth (and that doesn’t happen very often, at least in my experience), beware. Paint within the lines and be obedient. You see, the Church asks you and tells you exorcists to be obedient. Follow the guidelines of the Church. If you don’t, if you are disobedient, then you’re sliding into gray area and the demons will manipulate you.
Engaging with the demonic is divination.
Dialoging with the demonic to get information about the past, present, or future is divination. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear on this point. It does not say “recourse to Satan or demons with intentions of doing evil;” it simply says “recourse to Satan or demons.” Even if one presumes good intentions of those who fall into this, including exorcists, correction is in order, especially when a man’s public ministry involves the spiritual care of millions.
Msgr. Rossetti continues:
When you interact with demons and try to get information from them, that’s not listening, it’s divination. You’re using evil means—that is demons—to give you information which you absolutely don’t need.
The sheer quantity of information that Fr. Ripperger claims comes from demons is such that it can never be recalled or deleted from the internet, homes, and parishes. It has formed the intellect and spiritual life of countless souls. Whatever good has come of it, the means are evil, and the enduring impact is malformation and demonic exposure. He’s not only teaching using alleged gnosis from demonic sources, but he is teaching the faithful that this means of acquiring information is acceptable when it absolutely is not.
I recently came upon a YouTube short in which Father said, “The demons revealed the full complexion of what’s going on in the Church,” and I quickly clicked off of it as Tolkien’s account of Bilbo and the dragon came into my mind…
“He had been feeling rather pleased with the cleverness of his conversation with Smaug, but his mistake at the end shook him to better sense.”
Each of us needs humble correction at times. For the good of the faithful—and of the priest who may be intending the good—some shaking to better sense is in order.
Stop listening. Close their mouths.
We laity must understand that, if an exorcist begins sharing quotes or insights from his dialogues with demons: Immediately. Stop. Listening. Turn him off. He has become a mouthpiece of the diabolical, even if his intentions may be good. And if his words are laced with any boast or hubris at all about his profession or his dominance over the enemy? Press the power off button even faster.
Monsignor Rossetti teaches exorcists not to listen to the demons…
I command them to close their mouths in Jesus’ name. Whenever demons start to speak… ‘Close your mouth in Jesus name. Close your mouth… I’m not interested in anything you have to say. You are a liar and a manipulator.’ Everything out of a demon’s mouth is a lie or a manipulation…
They will at times tell a little bit of the truth, but they’ll still manipulate it to gain their ends. So the important thing to realize is don’t let them speak.
Won’t we be missing out on some special knowledge that an exorcist ought to give to the world? No. We have all that we need to know for our salvation accessible to us. It is also worth considering the prudent suggestion of the American bishops that:
“… the identity of the exorcist be kept secret or at most known only to the other priests of the diocese…”
There may be times when the public testimony of an exorcist can be humbly and prudently shared under the guidance and obedience of a bishop. And yet what we currently have is a marketplace for chatty self-elevating exorcists in the Church. The cash and clicks are flowing. Father Ripperger is not an isolated example, he is simply the most prominent.
You are not smarter than the lies of the demonic. Neither is an exorcist.
When I left the occult for Christ, I had to grapple with the shocking reality that I had been engaging with the demonic. My sincere spiritual pursuit was only love, rest, peace, and beauty, and so I was initially defensive and skeptical of the suggestion that there was any evil in what I had been doing. I was not a satanist or inclined toward the dark, and so I felt secure in my behaviors. But, as I entered more deeply into a sacramental life, scales began to fall and I was alarmed by the realization of how quickly and easily I had been deceived.
Being involved in the occult leaves a wound like Frodo’s. Even after much healing, there is somtimes a vague dread that will unsettle and ache through the whole person. After healing, the wounded more easily recognize the abusers. The process of my healing involved learning to reintegrate with everything and everyone through a new lens fixated on the purity of Jesus Christ. I studied the faith and was blessed early on by the sagacity of the Church regarding the demonic. Because my pain and fear were acute, I was quick to adopt the Church’s healing wisdom, much of which is absent from the prattle of the trending influencer exorcists. I spent decades seeking liberation from the confusion they are now sowing. Here are some of the most important lessons I learned (well before I heard the same from Msgr. Rosetti):
Do not listen to the demonic. Ever.
It is a liar. It is always a liar. If it doesn’t lie plainly, it distorts. If it doesn’t distort, it is because there is some advantage to itself in speaking the truth or because the Lord has forced the truth. And we cannot always trust our discernment to know the difference.
We are not intelligent enough to know which parts of their utterances may contain truth and which parts are purely deception, and so we do not engage with the demonic. NO DIALOGUE.
If we have a battle to fight, we do not discourse with demons. Instead, we turn to Christ alone. We allow our hearts and actions to be informed only by Him.
There will be a temptation to listen to what the demons have to say. They are beguiling. Do not listen. Stop up your ears.
Keep away from media that glorifies the demonic—even (or perhaps especially) when it wears a clerical collar.
From terror to peace
The early years of my conversion were sometimes troubled by unholy fear, as I knew well that there was evil in the world and that it was so dangerous. Despite the safety of my home and my faith, I felt vulnerable to spiritual evil. What led to deep healing was focusing sharply on the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ, and avoiding excess time spent pondering the enemy.
Jesus is safety. He is peace. He is mercy. He is tenderness. He is all truth and all love. And He is trustworthy.
It is natural to try to keep our enemies in sight, so we can keep track of their movements. When I am afraid, I do what seems counterintuitive—I turn away from the source of my fear and turn fully toward the person of Jesus Christ. My back is to the enemy and source of my fear; a position which feels scary and vulnerable. I fall into Jesus’ embrace while HE faces the enemy for me. Part of me wants to keep checking on the evil so that I am ready to defend and to protect myself. It takes a measure of discipline not to panic and to turn my back on Christ, grasping for control. But…
He is enough.
I am not counseling ignorance in all the ways of evil. We must know practically how to recognize and respond to wicked things. For example, we need to teach our children to stay away from occult practices that seem to pop up everywhere, even in Catholic circles. Teaching our kids physical and spiritual self-defense in a predatory world is a necessity. We must recognize and oppose abuse in all forms. We must remain politically and socially literate so that we can act justly to assist families and individuals. But our response to spiritual danger must be guided by a ressourcement to the Church’s teachings. Ultimately, this will lead us to a renoument in our commitment to and love of Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Meanwhile, the trending pop-stars of demonology ought to obediently submit to the guidance of the Church. The laity cannot control the actions of these exorcists. However, we can stop platforming them, stop sharing material that departs from the Church’s instruction, and we can continue fervently to seek intimacy with Christ.
The title of exorcist is not a magical protection against error and evil. It is, in fact, a heavy burden which finds authority and safety in close obedience to the Person of Jesus Christ and his Church. An exorcist who seeks the attention and respect of the world is treading on thin ice, and those who follow such men would be wise to vigorously discipline against unholy curiosity into the mind of evil.
May we never become so bored with His goodness that we seek the enemy for a little excitement. The devil is a liar.
But God is good. Blessed be God.
For further reading and reflection…
Why All the Fascination With the Devil and Exorcism? The curiosity exhibited by many Catholics toward demonic activity is real — and troubling. (John Clark)
Prayers Against the Powers of Darkness is a book for the laity, from Appendix II of Exorcisms and Related Supplications, the ritual book used by exorcists. While the official ritual book for exorcism is only distributed to bishops for use by certain priests they assign to serve as exorcists in their diocese, the prayers from this appendix can be prayed privately by all Catholics. Ascension Press has put the Appendix into its own bound book form and it includes:
Prayers to God for Protection
Invocations to the Holy Trinity
Invocations to Our Lord Jesus Christ
Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Michael the Archangel Prayer
Litanies
I no longer use the book of deliverance prayers written by Fr. Ripperger.
About the painting at the top of this article…
The Crystal Ball is a painting by John William Waterhouse that I modified for the quote at the top of this post. I include the unmodified image below. The subject is beautiful and soft—so typical of Waterhouse’s work—and she’s examining a crystal ball with a book of incantations nearby. She isn’t intending evil but seems intellectually and spiritually curious. Seeking. The colors of the painting are bright and bold, not dark and sinister. The crystal ball, the wand, the book are all like the Palantir of Tolkien’s world: a gateway to enslavement; a false promise; a path away from Christ. But in the painting, they are still bright, somewhat innocuous, and waiting upon the action of the user.
There’s a shadow on her brow that only barely mars her bright complexion. Perhaps it indicates a decision point or a step too far. The “magic” doesn’t happen because of the objects, but because of the permission of the soul and the compliance of her hands, her eyes, her will.
My sense from the painting is that she has opened the door and darkness has entered but has not yet consumed her. She’s seen more than she should. It is the beginning of what might be a long journey of grief, but it doesn’t have to be. She is still free to look away, leave the fascination on the table, and step into liberation.
Palate Cleanse
This newly released album of Easter hymns by Sarah Kroger has my attention today. It is an absolute necessity for the Christian heart to spend time pondering the goodness and hope of Jesus Christ. We are not made to stay in the dark. We are not preparing for hell, but for heaven. Let us raise our ALLEULIA! God be praised for ever.
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I’ve listened to many of his talks and what you imply here, that he gets “chatty” is the demonic is a false characterization and quite uncharitable. I think you are right to caution readers against an interest in the demonic, but Fr. Ripperger’s interactions adhere to the guidelines that you yourself laid out about the old right. The new right exorcism is rarely used because it is not as effective of a tool, what you mistake for chattiness is his excellent memory and the sheer volume of exorcism experience. I think it is fair to warn readers against his talks because most don’t need access to this level of information and as you have said the demons lie, but I think impugning his character is unnecessary and uncharitable.
I cannot agree with your article.
Your caution against needless discourse with demons is prudent; they are father of lies, and curiosity readily courts peril. Yet you overreach sharply. To brand a seasoned exorcist “disobedient” and a “mouthpiece of the diabolical” for drawing pastoral lessons from his ministry exceeds the rites’ actual bounds, which have long permitted necessary interrogation for deliverance. Father Ripperger’s public remarks may lean sensational, but they fall short of forbidden divination. Your summons to abandon him altogether lacks the measured discernment tradition demands and veers toward hysteria. In spiritual warfare, vigilance is essential yet Christ, not the enemy, must ever remain the center.