Catholic exorcists urge Pope to recruit more ‘demon‑fighters’ amid rise in occult cases

Catholic exorcists are sounding the supernatural alarm, claiming the world has become so spooky that even the Church’s team of demon hunters is running low on manpower.

According to senior members of the International Society of Exorcists (yes, it’s a real organization), occult sycophancy is on the rise, and they marched directly to Pope Leo XIV to ask for reinforcements.

The group recently met with the Pope and is armed with a report detailing a jump in cases linked to Satanism, occult experiments gone wrong, and people who thought they were “just trying something fun” before things got weird.

Their suggestion: Every Catholic diocese should have at least one fully trained exorcist on standby, as well as clearer rules for bishops about when a frightening situation should be escalated.

Reports from EWTN Vatican City and InfoVaticana say exorcists want better training, stronger guidelines and a more reliable way to tell the difference between someone who needs spiritual intervention and someone who just needs a good therapist.

Father Francesco Bamonte, vice-president of the AIE, warned that ignoring this trend could push vulnerable people to seek “inappropriate solutions”; That’s never a good sign in exorcists’ parlance.

During his visit to the Vatican, the group presented the Pope with a brand new manual, Guidelines for the Ministry of Exorcisms, featuring an image of St. Michael the Archangel (the Church’s finest celestial warrior) from the temple of Monte Sant’Angelo.

Pope Leo XIV reportedly thanked them, distributed rosaries and paid fond tribute to legendary exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth.

Not everyone believes the devil is in the details. Skeptics argue that many so-called possession cases are actually mental health issues, and that talk of “spiritual warfare” can scare people who are already struggling.