A charismatic Catholic priest who became the world’s best-known exorcist has died at the age of 91.

Father Gabriele Amorth was the chief exorcist for the diocese of Rome and wrote several books about the dark art of casting out demons.

He died overnight in a Rome hospital after suffering from a pulmonary illness.

Father Amorth claimed to have performed tens of thousands of exorcisms during his career and sometimes embarrassed the Vatican with his more outlandish claims.

He maintained that people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron. Both Hitler and Stalin were possessed by the Devil, he insisted.

He claimed that yoga is “evil” because it leads to a worship of Hinduism and other Eastern religions, and that the Harry Potter books encourage children to believe in black magic and wizardry.

His many books included The Last Exorcist – My Fight Against Satan.

During the papacy of Benedict XVI, Father Amorth said that the sex abuse scandals which engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Australia and other countries were proof that the Antichrist was waging a war against the Holy See.

"The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences," he said.