The demand for exorcisms in the US has skyrocketed in recent years, leading to a significant increase in the number of priests trained to perform the ritual, according to Father Chad Ripperger of the Archdiocese of Denver. Speaking to the New York Post, Ripperger stated that the Catholic Church currently has around 150 priests in the US who can perform exorcisms, marking a whopping 650% increase from 2020, when there were only about 20 priests trained in the practice.
However, Ripperger argued that the phenomenon reflects a rise in human sinfulness and occult involvement rather than an increase in demonic activity. “The demons are empowered as more and more people commit evil deeds,” the priest said, pointing to voluntary engagement in Satanism or witchcraft as a key factor making individuals susceptible to demonic influence. At the same time, he noted that only “about 10% of cases are as dramatic as portrayed in Hollywood.”
Exorcisms and Mental Illness
Reverend Dan Todd, a trained exorcist in New Jersey, also noted that while “the devil is out there,” about 99% of cases are due to mental illness, adding that psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder can often mimic demonic possession. The dissociative identity disorder is a condition where a person has multiple personalities, which can be mistaken for demonic possession.
The surge in demands for exorcisms has become so pronounced that Pope Leo XIV convened a summit of the world’s most senior exorcists at the Vatican earlier this month. At the meeting, the International Association of Exorcists warned the pontiff of a global rise in “occultism, esotericism, and Satanism” and called for every diocese worldwide to have trained exorcists.
Global Rise in Occultism
The trend has not been limited to the US. In Russia, the occult services market has recently ballooned to an estimated $24 billion annually, with Russians spending as much on “sorcerers” and fortune-tellers as on groceries. The Russian Orthodox Church has warned against performing or seeking such rituals, demanding that Satanism be legally prohibited as well as the advertisement of “occult magic services.”
Some of the key factors contributing to the rise in demand for exorcisms include:
- Increased interest in occultism and Satanism
- Rise in mental illness and psychiatric disorders
- Lack of trained exorcists in many dioceses
As the demand for exorcisms continues to rise, it is essential for the Catholic Church and other religious institutions to provide trained exorcists to meet the needs of their faithful. According to the Vatican, the Church has been working to increase the number of trained exorcists in recent years.
