The Kansas state House
voted 101-15 on Thursday in support of a resolution denouncing the satanic worship ritual scheduled to take place outside the state Capitol on March 28.
This denunciation, although an important signal to Kansans and the nation, is not law and does not amount to a cancellation of the event. In fact, the satanists still intend to flock to the state grounds and to
flout Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly’s directive to remain outside the Capitol building.
However, the Satanic Grotto’s planned desecration of the Eucharist is now in doubt, given recent indications that the satanists may not actually be in possession of a consecrated host as well as new guidelines adopted for use of the Capitol grounds by the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council, which would make the unlawful possession of a consecrated host grounds for removal.
It appears, therefore, that the satanists’ planned “Black Mass” might end up being nothing more than insubstantial anti-Catholic theater exemplifying their bigotry and uniting lawmakers from both parties, Christians from various denominations, and even some nonbelievers in affirming the state’s “identity as one nation under God.”
Former Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), who has been involved in the efforts to prevent a real Black Mass from taking place at the state Capitol, told Blaze News that the satanists’ efforts to provoke Catholics and draw attention to themselves may serve as “spiritual kick in the pants to Christians across Kansas,” prompting them to “say, ‘Hey, wait a minute — this our state too.'”
Lawsuit
The Satanic Grotto, a leftist anti-Christian hate group that appears to be little more than an unpolished knockoff of the Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple, received a permit to hold a “Black Mass” at the Kansas Capitol building in Topeka on March 28.
The group’s event listing
states that the group will “dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan” and notes further that members “will be performing rites to the black mass and indulging in sacrilegious blaspheme [sic].”
Michael Stewart, the leader of the anti-Christian hate group,
told KSNT-TV that he would lead the “Black Mass,” noting that he would “heavily lean into the four blasphemies, kind of representing an alternate to the stations of the cross.”
The satanists are expected to break crucifixes, tear up at least one Bible, and mock Catholics’ central sacrament — intended actions Stewart
confirmed in a Wednesday op-ed. A flyer for the event further indicates that as part of their “theuraputic [sic] blesphemy [sic],” the satanists will denounce Christ, desecrate the Eucharist, and corrupt “the Blood.”
‘God takes Satan to court. Satan wins.’
There has been intense backlash, particularly from Catholic groups in the state who were led to believe by self-identified members of the Grotto that the group had stolen a consecrated host and sought to “use its desecration to manifest the link between Satan and the capital [sic] building.”
In addition to social media posts, Chuck Weber, the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference — a group that leads public policy advocacy efforts on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Kansas —
stated in a sworn statement that Stewart told him in a March 8 phone call that he was in possession of one or more consecrated hosts.
In addition to encouraging prayer, inviting the faithful to attended a Eucharistic Holy Hour at a church near the statehouse on March 28, and calling for state officials to cancel the event, the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City
filed a lawsuit demanding the return of consecrated hosts the satanists suggested they had stolen.
It is the
conviction of the Catholic Church that “at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s Body and Blood.” The archdiocese noted that given the highest importance of the consecrated host and wine to Catholics, any attempt to “desecrate or attempt to destroy or otherwise harm these items is a grave concern to Archbishop [Joseph] Naumann, the Catholic Church, and countless of the Catholic faithful.”
Archbishop Naumann demanded resolution through a civil jury trial.
The Leavenworth County District Court dismissed the lawsuit Thursday, prompting the Grotto to
state on Facebook, “God takes Satan to court. Satan wins.”
Stewart
told WIBW-TV that the supposed hosts he has in his possession were not obtained by criminal means.
“We didn’t do it,” Stewart said, referring to the allegation that he or his compatriots stole consecrated hosts.
Stewart
suggested to the Oklahoma Voice that his anti-Christian hate group has its own consecration rituals and will mockingly “consecrate” some unleavened wafers purchased online.
“I find it very entertaining that [Archbishop Naumann] is convinced that I have Jesus trapped in a cracker and he would take it to court,” said Stewart.
The Satanic Grotto similarly did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. The anti-Christian hate group did, however previously provide this response: “The Satanic Grotto says get f**ked blaze news.”
Voting against the devil
Gov. Kelly appeared reluctant early on to condemn the planned event or acknowledge the Grotto as bigots; however, she indicated on March 12 that in order to “keep the statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced,” the group’s anti-Christian demonstration would have to take place outside.
The satanists maintain that they will enter the state Capitol building to perform their dark ritual, even if that means they’ll end up in handcuffs.
The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Huelskamp told Blaze News that like Gov. Kelly’s “really weak” response to the “Black Mass,” the response from the Kansas legislature was also “pretty timid.”
“The general philosophy was, ‘Well, if we ignore evil, it will go away,'” said Huelskamp. “But what I’ve seen in the last couple days — I’ve been in touch with a lot of legislators who are really stepping up, saying, ‘You know what? We need to take a stand on this.’ And they have.”
Kansas
House Resolution 6016 states that the “planned satanic worship ritual is an explicit act of anti-Catholic bigotry and an affront to all Christians. It blasphemes our shared values of faith, decency, and respect that strengthen our communities.”
Those who voted for the resolution affirmed that they denounced “the planned satanic worship ritual scheduled to take place on the grounds of the people’s house, the Kansas state Capitol grounds, on March 28, 2025, as a despicable, blasphemous, and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill, and it runs contrary to the spiritual heritage of this state and nation.”
“We call upon all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect, and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God,” added the resolution.
The resolution passed in a bipartisan 101-15 vote.
While some Democrats voted for the resolution, all 15 state legislators who voted against denouncing the satanic ritual were Democrats, namely Reps. Wanda Paige, John Carmichael, Ford Carr, Jo Ella Hoye, Heather Meyer, Silas Miller, Brooklynne Mosley, Melissa Oropeza, Dan Osman, Jarrod Ousley, Susan Ruiz, Alexis Simmons, Lindsay Vaughn, Valdenia Winn, and Rui Xu.
The Kansas Catholic Conference
stated, “We are shocked and appalled that 15 Democrats voted NO,” adding, “Anti-Catholic bigotry is alive and well in Kansas.”
‘It’s the same arguments that the pro-KKK people had in the 1920s.’
Kansas state Rep. Sean Tarwater, a practicing Catholic, said, “What eats at me the most is that I fear for the souls of those that are going to be involved with this Black Mass, and especially for those that are supporting the Black Mass in this room and on that committee,”
reported the Kansas Reflector.
Huelskamp told Blaze News that “we’re still looking for a little more from the legislature,” underscoring that the matter at hand is plainly a battle between good and evil.
Huelskamp, a Catholic with four adopted black children, noted that Kansas has a really proud history of repelling bigots, highlighting the battle that made it the first state in the union to
ban the Ku Klux Klan.
“In the 1920s — 100 years ago — the KKK tried to make a big entrance into Kansas. There was a significant political battle,” said the former congressman. “They refused to recognize the KKK and they kicked them out of the state.”
“All of the arguments of the left on this, on the satanists, it’s the same arguments that the pro-KKK people had in the 1920s. ‘Hey, it’s free speech.’ ‘Let them come in, free to organize.’ Eventually, the State of Kansas — I think the ’24 election — said, ‘No. We will not let the KKK in the state,'” continued Huelskamp. “I mean, at that time, there were rallies of 50,000 Kansans that were KKK supporters demanding recognition by the state.”
“I’m still upset the [Kansas] secretary of state, Scott Schwab, recognized the satanists when he gave them nonprofit status,” said Huelskamp. “We might like to go back and re-examine whether any group, you know, any hate group just receives automatic recognition by the State of Kansas. So 100 years ago, we said the KKK didn’t qualify. So how did the satanists qualify? It’s obviously a hate group in my books.”
Catholics and Christians from other denominations plan to protest the “Black Mass.”
TFP Student Action has, for instance, invited counterprotesters to attend a rosary rally of reparation at the south side of the Kansas state Capitol building at 10:15 a.m. on March 28.
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