Exorcist bishop, 52, steps down after falling in love with author of satanic-themed erotic fiction

A BISHOP famous for performing exorcisms has quit the church after he reportedly fell in love with an author of satanic erotic fiction. Xavier Novell, 52, who became Spain’s youngest bishop in 2010, has ditched his vow of celibacy after he met writer and psychologist Silvia Caballol. IENXavier Novell resigned in late August, leading some colleagues to believe he had been possessed by demons[/caption] He’s in a relationship with satanic author Silvia Caballol after he embarked on demonology studies He resigned at the end of last month for “personal reasons”, but it has been confirmed by the Catholic publication Religión Digital that he and Silvia are in a relationship. He said he had “fallen in love” and that he “wanted to do the right thing” when he was asked about his relationship with Silvia who wrote The Hell of Gabriel’s Lust and the erotic trilogy Amnesia. Silvia’s book The Hell of Gabriel’s Lust discusses occultism and sadism and covers “the raw struggle between good and evil, god and satan and angels and demons”. Horrified colleagues believed Xavier, who has practiced exorcisms for years, had been possessed by demons. One told Spanish media the situation was “not a problem of celibacy but rather of infestation”. Some sources even claim that Pope Francis urged Xavier to have an exorcism himself to “free his troubled spirit” but he refused. Xavier met his girlfriend, who is an expert in Satanism after he was drawn to study demonology. The Bishop has come under fire before for his “gay conversion therapy”, a pseudo-therapy that aims to push homosexual people towards heterosexuality. He was accused of holding a wedding between a woman and one of the young men who attended the ‘treatment’ – without the support or consent of the local priest or bride’s parents. He has also been an outspoken supporter of independence for Catalonia. Most read in News 'SO PETTY' Single mum furious as daughters sent home from school for 'wearing wrong shoes' ZOO TRAGEDY Tiger King keeper who worked for Joe Exotic 'found dead' months after arrest GRIM TOLL Covid deaths highest in six months amid fears of 'firebreak' lockdown in October TEEN SEX ATTACK Girl, 17, sexually assaulted in street as cops hunt two men pictured in pub FOOTBALL STRIP Flying tackles and high balls…Germany’s naked football team takes to field CRASH MANHUNT Driver held after lorry ploughed into home forcing kids to 'jump from window' Two former ministers from the rebel Catalan government who were imprisoned on charges of sedition were some of those who expressed their support of Xavier’s resignation. He offered former members of the Parliament of Catalonia Josep Rull and Jordi Turull, who were in Lledoners prison, ‘spiritual comfort’. Mr Rull said: “Bishop Novell has always been by the side of political prisoners, with words and, above all, with deeds, becoming one of the few exceptions from the Catalan Church hierarchy.” He has also worked in the highly controversial conversion ‘therapy’ for gay men and women