Denver archbishop asks exorcist Father Ripperger to step back from media for a year

Archbishop James Golka of Denver has asked Father Chad Ripperger, currently the most publicly visible English-speaking Catholic exorcist, to refrain for a year from public talks, interviews and media appearances. The request came at a recent meeting between the two men, called to discuss the priest's ministry and the state of his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, known as the Doloran Fathers, based in Keenesburg, Colorado. The archdiocese announced the arrangement in a statement dated October 19, which said Ripperger had accepted it without reservation.

The statement was signed by Kelly Clark, communications director of the Archdiocese of Denver. "Archbishop Golka recently met with Father Chad Ripperger to discuss his ministry and his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother," Clark said. "During that conversation, the archbishop asked Father Ripperger to consider taking a year-long fast from public speaking engagements and interviews. The time will allow him to focus on the Society and those he serves. Father Ripperger immediately agreed. At the end of the year, they will revisit the arrangement together." The statement added that Golka "is grateful for Father Ripperger's priestly service, his exorcism ministry, and the generous spirit with which he received this request."

Confirmation of the arrangement

The archdiocese said Ripperger "remains a priest in good standing" within its territory. The statement did not say whether the request affects any of his other priestly duties, or whether it is disciplinary. No decree explaining the reasons has been published, and no canonical penalty or finding of heresy has been announced.

Ripperger confirmed the situation himself. "The archbishop has asked me to take a break from public engagements," he wrote in reply to LifeSiteNews. When he was offered the chance to replace his in-person appearance at the LifeSiteNews 30th anniversary gala, set for April 24, 2027, with a recorded message or a written statement, he declined and referred questions about the restrictions to the archbishop of Denver. The pause runs for a year, until September 2027. Besides the LifeSiteNews gala, Ripperger has canceled commitments with at least two other organizations.

The priest's background and media reach

Ripperger is 61 or 62, with sources differing by a year, and is a native of Wyoming. He was ordained in 1997 for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a community that celebrates Mass according to the form of the Roman rite used before the Second Vatican Council. He has had faculties in the Archdiocese of Denver since 2016 or 2017. In 2012 he founded the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, which describes itself as "a semi-contemplative society of priests that works in cooperation with the local bishop to provide assistance to those in greatest spiritual need." After the death in 2016 of Rome's chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, Ripperger became the best-known living exorcist in the English-speaking world. He is the author of books including Deliverance Prayers for Use by the Laity, Dominion and Introduction to the Science of Mental Health, and his talks have drawn views on Catholic platforms for years.

The request comes after Ripperger reached large audiences through major American podcasts. On April 3, 2026, he took part in a conversation of almost two hours with Tucker Carlson. They discussed demonic possession, the occult, the devil's influence on politics, addiction, and communism as the "psychological twin of the diabolical method." The full episode on Carlson's YouTube channel passed three million views.

Ripperger appeared twice on Shawn Ryan's program, one of the most listened-to podcasts on Spotify. Episode 285, released March 5, 2026, was a four-hour conversation about the mark of the beast and the rise of the Antichrist, with YouTube view counts ranging from 2.5 million to 4.1 million depending on the source. The second appearance, episode 324 on July 23, has about 2.7 million views. Counting Spotify listens, the two appearances on Ryan's show put Ripperger in front of millions of listeners outside the usual Catholic audience. LifeSiteNews reports that Ryan told Carlson he had returned to the Catholic faith after speaking with Ripperger.

Contentious topics in his public appearances

In the March interview with Ryan, Ripperger also discussed UFOs and alleged alien abductions, suggesting that some of those reported experiences were demonic in nature: if "you strip away the alien veneer," what remains is "simply demons." In an October 18 interview with the traditionalist Catholic site Sensus Fidelium, he appeared to refer to Alien Intrusion, a book by the biblical creationist Gary Bates. It collects cases in which people are said to have stopped supposed abductions by invoking the name of Jesus.

In the July episode, Ryan gave him a rifle. Ripperger, who had said in the earlier interview that he carries a firearm and that his community has a shooting range, replied: "We'll have to use it this afternoon." He also spoke about Jeffrey Epstein's island, saying its layout and what he had read online pointed to occult involvement, though he said he could not be certain about everything he had seen. The archdiocese has not said whether any of these remarks relate to the archbishop's request.

A wider debate about exorcists and the media

Ripperger's case comes amid a wider debate in the Church about whether exorcists should address large audiences through the media. Some priests and experts hold that such appearances help make the Church's ministry known, while others warn that sensational treatment of demons can create fear and draw attention away from Christ.

Background on the Archdiocese of Denver

Pope Francis named Golka bishop of Colorado Springs on April 30, 2021, and Pope Leo XIV appointed him archbishop of Denver on February 7, 2026, accepting the resignation of Archbishop Samuel Aquila. Ripperger and the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, which Aquila had welcomed into the archdiocese, fall under Golka's authority.

When the year is up, Golka and Ripperger will review the arrangement together, according to the archdiocese's statement.