Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington D.C., United States, announced this week that the disciplinary decision against Father Stephen Rossetti was made because he had "seriously undermined" church doctrine.

The Archdiocese of Washington also severed ties with the St Michael Center for Spiritual Restoration, a Washington-based non-profit organization led by Father Rossetti.

Rossetti is a prominent priest and psychologist in the United States, boasting over 148,000 followers on Instagram. He also served as an exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, which included investigating alleged cases of "demonic possession." His St Michael Center for Spiritual Restoration promotes itself as an organization dedicated to supporting individuals "in need of healing and deliverance."

Father Stephen Rossetti. Photo: *St Michael Center for Spiritual Restoration*.

The priest sparked controversy by posting a video on facebook on 29/5, in which he claimed that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are actually created by demons to hide, infiltrate minds, and manipulate people into performing evil deeds.

"I believe that many, if not the vast majority of UFO sightings, are in fact caused by evil spirits," he stated. The priest and exorcist suggested that demons "prefer to hide and do not want us to know what they are doing, as they can act more easily when unnoticed."

Rossetti added that people can be good Catholics and believe in life on other planets, though he personally does not believe it.

According to Archbishop McElroy, Father Rossetti's linking of UFOs with the presence of demons has impacted the church's views on demons, evil spirits, and exorcism.

Upon receiving the disciplinary notice, Father Rossetti expressed his sadness regarding the archdiocese's action.

"I ask for forgiveness for any errors due to my non-adherence to church doctrine, especially in the video discussing aliens and demons. Serving the church is paramount to me, and I will continue to strive for all my actions to be for the church," Rossetti stated.

The Pentagon released 222 declassified documents about UFOs on 22/5, including an audio recording of the Apollo 12 crew recounting seeing a mysterious "streak of light" while trying to sleep in deep space. The U.S. Department of Defense also released 160 documents on UFOs in the first batch on 8/5, at the request of President Donald Trump.

Ngoc Anh (According to The Guardian, NBC, Newsweek)