The International Association of Exorcists (AIE) emphasises this in a statement in which it rejects media reports.
Some of these reports are also based on alleged statements made by the association.
According to these, some exorcists are said to earn up to 12,000 euros a month.
"However, the reality is very different and must remain so. The exorcism service must be absolutely free of charge," says the association.
Legitimate exorcisms may only be carried out in the Catholic Church with the express permission of the responsible bishop or vicar general, the association emphasises.
According to the "Guidelines for the Ministry of Exorcism", prayers for healing and deliverance as well as exorcisms may only be carried out free of charge. No believer should be prevented from "enjoying divine grace" due to costs.
"As for other self-proclaimed exorcists who belong to other more or less religious, more or less esoteric-occultist or more or less fraudulent realities, it is up to other bodies to judge this, starting with the police and the judiciary," emphasises the association.
The AIE was founded in 1994 and claims to have around 900 members worldwide.
In 2020, it published a guide to exorcisms, which is currently available in Italian and Croatian.
The association regularly warns against superstition and unauthorised practices in the field of exorcisms. An exorcism is a ritual intended to free people possessed by the devil or demons.
Before an exorcism, medical experts must be consulted to rule out psychiatric and psychological causes of the complaints.