Thanks to Colorado’s unlikely Republican candidate for governor, exorcisms are having a moment … although Victor Marx says he’s not a fan of the word “exorcism.” He’s a “reluctant exorcist,” he explains, and is really just praying for people who “may be oppressed by forces of darkness or demons.”
Father Chad Ripperger is not so reluctant. Named Best Exorcist in the Best of Denver 2024, he’s built an entire ministry around conducting exorcisms and training others to do them. But last week, Archbishop James Golka asked him to put that work on hold.
According to a statement posted on the Archdiocese of Denver website on Oct. 19: “Archbishop Golka recently met with Fr. Chad Ripperger to discuss his ministry and his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. During that conversation, the Archbishop asked Fr. Ripperger to consider a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews. The time will allow him to devote himself to the Society and to the people it serves. Fr. Ripperger readily agreed. At the end of the year, they will review the arrangement together. …Archbishop Golka is grateful for Fr. Ripperger’s priestly service, exorcism ministry, and for the generous spirit in which he received this request.”…