Kansas City Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has filed a lawsuit against a Satanic group, accusing them of stealing a consecrated Holy Eucharist for use in a “black mass”—an allegation the group denied under oath.
The lawsuit, filed in the civil division of the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, seeks to recover the Eucharist under state laws governing the return of wrongfully taken or held personal property. The Catholic Church holds that a consecrated Eucharist is the true body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, making its theft and desecration a grave offense.
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The suit names Michael T. Stewart and Travis L. Roberts, leaders of The Grotto Society (also known as The Satanic Grotto), as defendants. The group is planning a “black mass” on March 28 at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka.
The case gained traction after social media posts allegedly made by Stewart under the username “xsimon666x” on Reddit claimed the group had secured a consecrated host and wine for desecration at their event. Other online statements from the group declared their intent to use the event to “manifest the link between Satan and the capitol building.”
/**/Archbishop Naumann’s legal petition argues that the Catholic Church retains ownership of all consecrated Eucharists worldwide and emphasizes the incalculable spiritual value of the sacrament. His motion called for urgent action to prevent desecration.
However, in a court hearing Wednesday, Stewart testified under oath that neither he nor his organization possessed a consecrated Eucharist. This testimony alleviated some concerns within the Catholic community, according to Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.
“We now have a sworn statement before a judge that the group does not possess a validly Consecrated Host,” Weber said. “This alleviates a major concern.”
Despite this development, the planned “black mass” remains a highly controversial event, with Catholic leaders and faithful expressing strong opposition.
This article originally appeared on American Faith, and is reposted with permission.
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