Pope Leo XIV hosted the world’s most senior Catholic exorcists at the Vatican for a private high-level meeting this month.

The delegation from the International Association of Exorcists warned the Pontiff of a terrifying and accelerating global rise in occultism, esotericism, and Satanism.

The priests reported a sharp increase in people seriously disturbed by the extraordinary action of the devil, particularly those frequenting occult sects. They described the situation as causing great suffering for both the individuals affected and the broader Church.