Archbishop of Denver Orders Famous American Exorcist to Fast in Public

(ZENIT News / Denver, 10.22.2026).- Father Chad Ripperger has spent years explaining spiritual warfare to Catholic audiences. In 2026, he took that message to a much larger public, appearing on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Shawn Ryan and attracting millions of online views. Now the Denver archdiocese has asked the prominent American exorcist to step away from public speaking and interviews for a year, bringing renewed attention to the tensions between a priest’s growing media profile and his obligations to the Church.

Archbishop James Golka recently met with Ripperger to discuss his priestly ministry and the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, the community he founded, known as the Doloran Fathers. According to a statement issued by the Archdiocese of Denver, Golka proposed a yearlong “fast” from public speaking and interviews so that the priest could devote more time to his community and the people it serves. Ripperger accepted the request, the archdiocese said, and the two are expected to review the arrangement after a year.

The archdiocese has expressed gratitude for Ripperger’s priestly service and his ministry of exorcism, while asking Catholics to pray for him and his community. It has not publicly identified the circumstances that prompted the request, described it as a canonical penalty, or announced any finding of wrongdoing. The distinction matters: the available public statements establish a restriction on his public appearances, not a declared judgment of heresy or a detailed disciplinary case.

Ripperger has confirmed that he must cancel speaking engagements, including an appearance planned for LifeSiteNews’ 30th-anniversary gala in April 2027. Other organizations have also lost scheduled appearances by the priest. The restriction’s precise scope beyond public speaking and interviews has not been fully explained in the public statement.

The timing is notable because Ripperger’s audience has expanded far beyond the traditional Catholic circuit. His April interview with Carlson, which lasted nearly two hours and addressed exorcism, occultism and the reality of the demonic, has surpassed three million views on YouTube, according to figures reported by LifeSiteNews. His March appearance on Ryan’s podcast, a four-hour discussion covering spiritual warfare, the Antichrist and other subjects, has attracted between 2.5 million and 4.1 million YouTube views, according to the same outlet. His July return to Ryan’s program has accumulated roughly 2.7 million views, with one excerpt exceeding 640,000. Ryan has also said that his conversations with Ripperger helped prompt his return to the Catholic faith.

But the same format presents risks. Ripperger’s interviews have ranged from Catholic teaching on demons and occult practices to claims about reported alien abductions, which he has suggested may sometimes involve demonic phenomena. In discussing Jeffrey Epstein’s island, he referred to material he had encountered online while acknowledging uncertainty about what he had seen. The subjects are attention-grabbing, but they also illustrate how easily theological commentary, speculation and claims that cannot readily be verified can become intertwined in the podcast environment.

The archdiocese has not said that any particular interview or statement caused Golka’s request. It would therefore be unjustified to present the suspension as a response to specific controversial remarks. The official explanation remains that the year away from public appearances is intended to give Ripperger more time for his community and pastoral responsibilities.

The episode arrives amid a wider debate over how exorcists should communicate with the public. Some Catholic commentators argue that media appearances can help people understand a ministry often misunderstood or sensationalized. Others warn that an excessive focus on demons can frighten audiences, encourage fascination with extraordinary phenomena and obscure the central message of Christianity: Christ’s victory over sin and evil, and the call to conversion, prayer and sacramental life.

Golka, appointed Archbishop of Denver by Pope Leo XIV on February 7, 2026, previously led the Diocese of Colorado Springs, where he had been appointed bishop by Pope Francis in 2021. Ripperger was ordained in 1997 for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and later founded the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, a community focused on spiritual ministry and exorcism based in Colorado. His reputation grew through traditional Catholic conferences, books and online lectures before his appearances on mainstream podcasts introduced him to a much wider audience.

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