Not sure many in hierarchy believe in the Devil and there's probably others that doubt that God exisits.
"Not sure many in hierarchy believe in the Devil and there's probably others that doubt that God exisits."
I would disagree. There is no such thing as an "atheist" in reality; only agnostics. I say this because an atheist sayd that he refuses to believe in something......but in doing so he implies that this "something" may and does actually exist. It becomes a philospohlical issue.
Now, as to your statement.....I would agree that there are many priests who do not acknowledge the power, majesty, adn divine power of God. In doing so they are agnostic - in as much as they simply choose to functionally ignore the reality of God as he truly is. They simply do not let the full effect of that reality of God effect them. So they do not care for or about Him.......and this shows in everything they do.
Now as to belief in the devil. There are three kinds of priests:
1. the good old fashioned ones who know exactly who and what the Devil is and does, and war against him spiritually through prayer and the Sacraments with all their might. There are very few of these left, but these truly serve God. .
2. the stupid modernist priest.....the "useful idiots" who in their idiocy deny the reality, power, and works of the Devil with the same agnosticism with which they deny the same of God. In their foolishness, they are unwitting servants of the Devil.
3. the satanist priest - who, on one level or another, consciously serves and worships LUcifer as the Prince of this world. He may publicly appear to deny the existance/reality of the devil.....and in a similar mode deny God to a greater and lesser extent. But ultimately,he believes in both........but has made a clear decision to serve one and not the other.
#3 is the most dangerous. Some of their numbers wear mitres.