NYPD Cop-Turned-Demonologist on Why He Believes Possessions Are on the Rise

Despite always believing in the existence of good, evil and God, ex-New York Police Department sergeant Ralph Sarchie didn’t consider himself a particularly religious guy — that is, until he began battling what he says are dangerous, supernatural forces.

Sarchie, a self-described demonologist who was once a cop for the 46th police precinct in New York City — and the inspiration for the new Hollywood film “Deliver Us From Evil” — told TheBlaze that he believes possessions and infestations are on the rise.

“It’s definitely on the rise. I hate to say it,” Sarchie said in an interview. “As society pushes God out, no one can deny that that’s happening. There’s a good portion of society that just cannot stomach Jesus Christ and when I see that, I have to wonder where that hatred comes from.”

Watch Sarchie discuss his uncommon career below (caution: disturbing themes and images):

Of the many exorcisms he has participated in and assisted with, Sarchie — who became an independent part-time paranormal investigator while working with the NYPD — said the most terrifying thing he has seen occurred when he placed a crucifix next to a supposedly possessed individual’s head.

“We had a couple of relics in the church that day and mine was on the right side of this person’s head near the ear area … I usually stand in front,” he said. “I could see the eyes — that one eye looking over at the crucifix, but not turning the head. The head was like a statue … the eyes were going back and forth and that was a frightening thing to see.”

Sarchie described the person as looking like a trapped animal who was scared but still very much a volatile predator attempting an escape.

“I’ve been a cop for a long time. I dealt with a lot of emotionally disturbed persons [and] I’ve arrested some pretty bad people and I have never, never in my life in the street seen anything like that,” he said. “A murderer’s look from a person is nothing like a person who is under possession.”

As for his work — a career that is certainly unconventional — the former cop broke his professional life down in simple terms. Ralph Sarchie, Former NYPD Cop, Talks Possession and Deliver Us From Evil Movie

Retired NYPD sergeant and film subject Ralph Sarchie attends a special screening of “Deliver Us From Evil,” June 23, 2014 in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment)

“Demonology is the study of demons. It’s like all your all other ‘ologies,’” Sarchie said. “I approach it from a religious point of view.”

While he wasn’t always the strong Roman Catholic he is today, Sarchie said that he realized that battling the forces of evil meant securing a good relationship with God.

“If I was going to get involved in battling the devil, I needed to get a strong religion,” he said. “I pray every day — I pray my rosary every day and I pray to God every day that what I’m doing in this life is pleasing to him. I can only do what I know he wants me to do.”

Sarchie recalled how he became involved in demonology: After getting married and having his first daughter, he connected with Ed and Lorraine Warren, real-life paranormal investigators who were depicted in last year’s horror flick “The Conjuring.”

“I became one of their students and I started to go out on cases with [the Warrens],” Sarchie told TheBlaze.

He described the signs of possession, including unnatural strength, speaking in different languages, having knowledge of events that one would have no way of knowing, a woman speaking in a man’s voice and a person making animal sounds.

Additionally, Sarchie, who said only ordained clergy should perform exorcisms, explained that possessed individuals oftentimes know information about the past sins of exorcists and assistants.

Despite making a name for himself as a prominent demonologist, Sarchie said he has never accepted a penny for his assistance, always offering his services free of charge. In fact, he said, cases often cost him money, as he must fund his own travel expenses to various localities.

The former cop says he knows there are many who doubt his claims, but he told TheBlaze he doesn’t pay them any mind.

“I get word of all these skeptics out there and some of them are getting real nasty,” he said. “I’m not interested in what they say, I’m not interested in what they think about me. I don’t care.”

Be sure to also read TheBlaze’s interview with “Deliver Us From Evil” director Scott Derrickson, who watched countless videos showing real-life exorcisms Sarchie participated in while writing the film.

In the Catholic Church, only a priest who has been specially trained, and is authorized by his Bishop, is permitted to conduct exorcisms.

Zatso?

Dave Schrader; host
Bob Cranmer; guest, author of The Demon of Brownsville Road
Michael in Los Angeles; caller
19:39
D: West of the Rockies, Michael in Los Angeles
M: Thank you for taking my call, Bob?
B: Yes, sir.
M: You're a Catholic now, correct?
B: Yes.
M: And you've were confirmed, sacrament of confirmation?
B: I was Confirmed, yes.
M: Good, that's why you can do exorcisms. I'm a Roman Catholic and I'm an exorcist, from '84 to '90 a colleague of mine and a priest who was a personal friend of John Paul II did research we found out that Catholic laymen who had the Sacrament of Confirmation can do exoticisms on any person, place, thing or situation from anywhere at any time of their choosing.
I've had eight Bishops face to face tell me that I am absolutely correct. They don't want, they will not teach it to laymen. When asked why they said “We don't want the laymen to know they have this tremendous authority and power.” It is your God given right to know that and you can do exorcisms on your children and on the situation and it's gonna lighten up for you, and I will help you.
I just finished not to long ago a seven year exorcism, it was very difficult, it was on a man who was the son of a Costa Nostra Godfather. It was a little bit difficult. Got him turned around and when he passed away he passed away as a Roman Catholic.
D: Michael, let me ask really quickly if I may, you're an exorcist, are you a lay exorcist, or are you...
M: Yes
D: … a Priest?
D: So, a lay exorcist
M: They don't want you to, in other words, the Pope knows the Cardinals know the Bishops know, Priests don't know, they want to keep the layman ignorant of of the fact that the Sacrament of Confirmation is where get the authority and power and that the fact is that you can do exorcisms, incidentally, they hid this knowledge one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four years ago, this year. We found out in 1990 and have been applying it ever since.
I've used it against some very serious politicians, etc. and told them that they were going to lose their next election if they didn't do what God wanted, they chose not to and they lost their next election.
You can use it, it's to be ubiquitous, as much of it as there is prayer there should be exorcism.
D: Michael, wouldn't that actually help people convert to Catholicism? Why would they hide something like that if indeed it empowered you to have the ability to protect yourself from the others especially when the church for many years has not been prepared to deal with exorcisms there wasn't nearly enough exorcists to deal with the onslaught of claims in doing this you would think instead of hiding it they would promote the fact that this is why you should be a Catholic and this how you can protect yourself and you can help in these cases. Why the conspiracy of hiding it in your opinion?
M: I know what it is. Satan and his demons had to do a lot of work to get that concealed and as soon as they concealed it they went after the married priesthood, you see the married priesthood was extensive, in the four hundreds, we had two popes that were married, in the five hundreds it was the last one who was married.
After that they hid that knowledge they wanted to go after the married priesthood because if it was just the celibate priesthood they knew what could happen, they knew the evils that would creep into the church, an in the ten hundreds St Peter Damien talked about all the sodomy that was going on in the church and the monasteries and in the convents and all that.
The reason that they didn't want us to know is because when we spotted the evil we could drive it out ourselves.
I've put a couple priests out myself. I would go to Mass and do an exorcisms about their Mass and they would just leave after about six months.
We laymen with the power and knowledge of exorcism can take care of any of the evils within the Church.
Right now I'm trying to get in touch with the Ukrainian Bishop to call on him to teach exorcism to the Ukrainian people so they can drive the Russians right out of their country by simply doing exorcisms.
Because you are supposed to be able, and I have used it on any person, place, thing or situation from anywhere, at any time of my choosing, just remembering that it's more powerful the closer you are to the object of the exorcism, but you can do it from the other side of the world, and when you get a lot of...
D: But how do you do it from the other side of the world when you had to deal with an up-close exorcism that took you seven years? If you're doing it from the other side of the world how do you factor in the fact of how long that's going to take?
M: When I did the exorcism of seven years he was in San Francisco or in New York or wherever he was and I was in LA.
D: So it was because of the distance that you feel was really keeping you from being successful?
M: Well that was part of the problem but it was a tough exor-, this guy was the son of a Godfather, do you understand what that means?
D: I do.
M: What he had done in his life? wow. What I'm saying is that God has made it available to us now, to return this knowledge to us, and that Bishops have to admit it when you ask that question because if they didn't admit it they would be denying the Holy Spirit, they're not going to do that, there's a difference between concealing something and denying it. So I was face-to-face with these fellows they all had to say “Yes.”.
D: Michael, thank you, we have to go to a break, thank you very much for weighing in and showing us different aspect and a different insight. I appreciate that. Bob? You've worked in the world of politics for many years and have dealt with that, how many politicians do you know that could probably use a good exorcism?
B: [laughs] I guess we could talk about that at length.
D: Is there enough Holy water to scrub the evil out?
B: In Washington DC right now I think there are plenty of candidates there, I say tongue in cheek. Real quick I did learn a lot through this [his own haunted house experience] I'm certainly not looking to have any career in exorcism or ghostbuster, if it's my choice I don't have to deal with this again, I probably will as I have in the past but it would be my choice that this all would become a chapter in my life I'm certainty not looking for a career as an exorcist.
26:50

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