The demand for exorcists in the US has exploded in recent years, leading to a significant increase in the number of priests trained to perform the ritual, according to a well-known Catholic exorcist.

In an interview with the New York Post, Father Chad Ripperger of the Archdiocese of Denver said that the Catholic Church currently has about 150 priests in the United States who can perform exorcisms. In 2020, only about 20 priests had been trained in the practice, a huge 650 percent increase in just a few years, RT reports.

However, Ripperger noted that the phenomenon reflects an increase in human sinfulness and occultism rather than an increase in demonic activity.

"Demons are gaining more and more power as more and more people do evil deeds," said the priest, citing voluntary participation in Satanism or witchcraft as an important factor that exposes individuals to the influence of demons. At the same time, he pointed out that only "about 10% of cases are as dramatic as Hollywood portrays."

Pastor Dan Todd, a trained exorcist from New Jersey, also told the New York Post that while "the devil is real", about 99% of cases are caused by mental illness, and he added that psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder can often resemble demonic possession.

The surge in demand for exorcists has been so significant that Pope Leo XIV convened a summit of the world's leading exorcists in the Vatican earlier this month. At the meeting, the International Union of Exorcists warned the Pope of a worldwide rise in "occultism, esotericism and satanism" and called for the appointment of trained exorcists in every diocese around the world.

More than 300 exorcists gathered last year for the 15th International Conference of Exorcists, which participants say reflects a coordinated and growing international effort.

This trend is not limited to the US. In Russia, the market for occult services has recently exploded to an estimated $24 billion a year, with Russians spending as much on the services of "witches" and fortune tellers as they do on groceries.

The Russian Orthodox Church has warned against practising or seeking out such rituals and is calling for Satanism to be banned by law, as well as the advertising of "occult and magical services". Last year, the Russian Supreme Court formally banned the "International Satanic Movement" as an extremist movement.

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