Catholic bishop who fell in love with writer of Satanic erotica now reportedly working to artificially inseminate pigs

The disgraced clergyman now reportedly specialises in pig insemination.

Warning: Graphic details

A Spanish bishop known for performing exorcisms who resigned after falling in love with an author of Satanic-themed erotica has reportedly found work obtaining and exporting high-quality pig semen.

Xavier Novell, 52, sparked fears among other members of the clergy that he had been possessed by the devil when the news of his relationship broke earlier this year.

Novell found love with Silvia Caballol, a psychologist and writer of erotic novels, who penned The Hell of Gabriel's Lust and the erotic trilogy Amnesia.

He gave up his vow of celibacy and turned his back on the church to pursue a life with the 38-year-old author.

Church colleagues told Spanish media they believed Novell had been possessed by demons, with one saying this was "not a problem of celibacy but rather of infestation".

The same sources claimed that Pope Francis had urged Novell to undergo an exorcism to free his troubled spirit, but the then-bishop had refused to do so.

Novell had himself practised exorcisms for several years. His desire to study demonology apparently led him to meet and become close to Caballol, an expert in Satanism.

Now no longer a man of the cloth, Novell has instead embarked along a very different career path.

Spanish newspaper ABC reported that Novell, who is a trained agronomist, has found work with Semen Cardona, a firm that specialises in the artificial insemination of pigs in Spain and overseas.

ABC reported that Novell's role will involve him obtaining the valuable product directly.

"Bishop Novell will work masturbating the pigs," they reported.

Spanish religious news website Religion Digital, which first broke the news of Novell's love affair, said it had confirmed ABC's reporting and described the job as a "total life change".

God works in mysterious ways.

- Additional reporting, Daily Telegraph