More than 200 people attended a Catholic Mass in Detroit in reparation for the unveiling of a Satanic statue in the city.
On Saturday, the Satanic Temple of Detroit unveiled a statue of Baphomet (left), a Satanic idol, near the Detroit River. The bronze statue, standing at eight-and-a-half feet tall (2.6m) has wings, the horned head of a goat, and a Satanic pentagram on its brow. Also carved on to it are two children gazing up at it adoringly.
Supporters on Saturday greeted the unveiling of the statue with cries of “Hail, Satan!”
In response, St Joseph’s Catholic church in Detroit held a Mass and a Holy Hour to coincide with the unveiling, in reparation and prayer for the city.
The church put out an appeal on its Facebook page calling for a large turnout at the Mass, which between 200 and 250 people attended, including families and young people. Other Christian groups also held prayer rallies and protests.
The Satanic Temple of Detroit had originally applied to erect the statue beside a monument to the 10 Commandments standing outside the Oklahoma State Capitol.
But last month the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the 10 Commandments monument must be removed, on the grounds that it violates a constitutional clause forbidding the use of state-owned land for the support of any religion.
The director of the Satanic Temple Detroit chapter says the organisation intends to move its Baphomet statue to Arkansas, to stand beside a similar 10 Commandments monument there.
Above: A Detroit family prays at the Mass at St Joseph's. Photo: Todd McIntuff / The Detroit News.
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