Halloween is 'dangerous' says the Pope as he slams 'anti-Christian' festival

By Nick Pisa

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The Vatican attempted to put a brake on the growing popularity of Halloween yesterday, branding it anti-Christian and dangerous.

The condemnation follows criticism from Catholic bishops who this week urged parents not to let their children dress up as ghosts and goblins.
 
The Vatican spoke out on the eve of tonight's ritual which falls before the significant Catholic holy day of All Saints.

Halloween is largely a secular celebration which has its origins in an ancient festival marking the start of the 'darker half of the year'.

But in an article entitled The Dangerous Messages of Halloween, the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano quoted liturgical expert Joan Maria Canals as saying: 'Halloween has an undercurrent of occultism and is absolutely anti-Christian.'

Father Canals urged parents 'to be aware of this and try to direct the meaning of the feast towards wholesomeness and beauty rather than terror, fear and death'.

L'Osservatore praised a church at Alcala de Henares in Spain which had decided to hold a prayer vigil on Saturday night and the Paris archdiocese's idea of having children play a lucky dip dubbed ' Holywins' instead.

Last night, another Catholic group, the influential Association of Pope John XXIII, joined the condemnation, calling it a 'great Satanic ritual'.
It said: 'We appeal to the whole Catholic community not to promote this recourse to the macabre and the horrific.

'All parents and all those that hold the values of life dear should know that Halloween is an adoration of Satan, which is carried out underhand through parties and games for children and adults.'

The Catholic Church in Italy has taken a dim view of Halloween celebrations for years.

Aldo Bonaiuto, head of the Catholic Church's anti-occult and sect unit, warned parents of the dangers to children and said the event 'promotes the culture of death'.

He added: 'Halloween pushes new generations towards a mentality of esoteric magic and it attacks sacred and spiritual values through a devious initiation to the art and images of the occult. At best, it gives a big helping hand to consumerism and materialism.'

Halloween as a children's holiday is harmless.

As an "adult" holiday, it's pretty clear it is not harmless.  Then again, "Christmas" as  it is celebrated by most adults today is pretty bad too.

I use to like Halloween as a kid mainly for dressup and all that candy. The idea though that it symbolizes a day for Satan and most costumes are gruesome and diabolical has caused me to rethink participating in this pagan holiday. ( I doubt Our Lady and our Lord would participate at all and we should imitate the Holy Family)

So I got smart!!! I let my kids dress up in warm fuzzy outfits usually before or after Halloween so as not to participate on that day.

We never have candy to hand out we simply lock our gate for the evening.

I laugh and tell the kids that mom will go to town a day or two after Halloween and stock up on all the cheap candy to last us till next year.

My kids are not overly impressed at the thought of millions of kids and adults roaming the night in mainly evil representations which I tell my kids could very well resemble Hell itself.

If families want to dress their kids like the angels they are its their decision but they still participate with the demonic wardrobe and mentality that is out there.


Personally I wouldnt walk into a Stip Bar in a Nun outfit and order a rootbeer. I just wouldnt be there or around those people period.

My thoughts,  Annie

Somehow people have got it into their heads that the Anti-Christ is going to be lying all the time, like everything he say will be overtly evil and obvious.  Unless someone comes out and says "Satan is Lord!  May thy hellfire reign eternally!" then they think they can't "judge."  Really, I think they'd defend Ratzinger even if he said that:  "Well, he is mistaken in believing Satan to be the Lord, but at least he believes in one true god; maybe it's just a misconception of God and he's only a material heretic and thus Pope."  

Of course it's not about judging, it's about recognizing external actions and statements.

It's too bad the Vigil Mass for Halloween was suppressed in the 1955 reforms. Having the celebration of the vigil would have been a great counter against the secular celebration of the day.

Raoul, I wasn't praising Benedict. I know he goes back and forth, I was just surprised he spoke out against something secular. I personally thought Benedict would like Halloween. His Assisi meeting was far more freightening than any Halloween movie.