Satanists to Hold Black Mass in Oklahoma on Sept. 21
Devil-worshiping group Dakhma of Angra Mainyu is planning to hold a black mass in Oklahoma this month, despite outraged protests by residents of Oklahoma City and a lawsuit from the Catholic Church, according to reports.
The founder of the group, Adam Daniels, said that the ceremony will be a "tamer" version of more traditional rites, such as substituting vinegar for urine to comply with health laws. The ceremony will take place in public, and will feature a woman dressed in lingerie lying down on the altar, according to ABC news.
Daniels has reportedly sold all 88 tickets to the event, which will be held in the city's civic center, which has been rented out for $420 under First Amendment protections that the devil-worshipers can meet in a public facility.
Those who availed of tickets from Daniels will hear renunciations of God, see people wear obscene costumes, use explicit language, and witness the desecration of a symbol of the resurrected Christ. The black mass will supposedly end with a Satanic exorcism— but instead of expelling the devil from an individual, the organizers will allegedly try to draw the Holy Spirit from the body.
"Mr. Daniels must abide by our local ordinances, our fire codes and all our state laws. No bloodletting of any kind will be allowed," a Parks and Recreation spokeswoman explained.
The Oklahoma City Archdiocese has already filed a lawsuit against Daniels' group.
"I remain concerned about the dark powers that this satanic worship invites into our community and the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly," Archbishop Paul Coakley said in a statement.
Archbishop Coakley added that the ritual is "intended as a deliberate attack on the Catholic Mass as well as the foundational beliefs of all Christians with the stated purpose of mocking the Catholic faith."