A Spanish bishop, known for supporting gay conversion therapy and performing exorcisms, has left the Roman Catholic Church after becoming smitten with a writer of Satanic erotic fiction, Silvia Caballol.
“I have fallen in love and want to do things properly,” said the now-ex-bishop, Xavier Novell said to BBC.
In addition to widespread media attention, the 52-year-old’s decision has also led to much internal criticism within the church.
Some of his former colleagues told the Spanish media that they believed Novell to be possessed by demons.
The situation is “not a problem of celibacy but rather of infestation,” one said, as reported by the the Spanish local media.
Before his scandalous resignation from the church, Novell was considered one of its rising stars, having become Spain’s youngest bishop in 2010 at the age of 41.
His August departure reportedly shocked the religious community, although BBC reported that he had met multiple times with Vatican officials even the Pope himself ahead of his resignation.
