AN Irish priest has said kids dressing up as demons and devils is a “complete betrayal of the Christian faith”.
Father Richard O’Connor, who is a priest of the Diocese of Kerry, has urged Catholic schools to lead the way in getting back to the “true meaning” of Halloween.
Writing in The Irish Catholic newspaper, the outspoken priest said: “We’re supposed to be celebrating the Feast of All Saints’ [November 1] and we have the kids dressed up as demons and devils and witches and things like that – the very opposite.
“It shows a complete betrayal of the Christian faith, on this particular point.
“Certainly, have Halloween parties, but have them centered on the saints. I would expect Catholic schools to give the lead in that respect.
‘REAL MEANING’
“There’s great room for imagination, you take at Christmas, the school will have a little play centred on the nativity, and the kids love dressing up as shepherds, the three kings, and all the rest of it. The same way you could have a party centered on the saints.”
O’Connor, who teaches in the Pontifical Angelicum University in Rome, said he would be ok with making a “big deal” out of Halloween – but insisted parties should celebrate saints instead of demons to give it “real meaning”.
In a published letter to the editor of the Irish Catholic, O’Connor said: “The word ‘Halloween’ means the eve of the feast of All Saints.
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“Yet on shop windows and even on school windows, we see images of ghosts, skeletons, witches, demons etc, at this time of year, indeed of all sorts of ugly things that remind one of the occult and of Satan.
“But many Catholic parents and the boards of Catholic schools seem to have no problem with this. Instead, they see it, naively, as good fun even though such things are what might be called ‘avenues’ leading towards the occult; and this at a time when Satan-worship, black masses, and seances are on the increase all over the world.
“If Halloween is to get back its true meaning, why not make this a time when parents encourage young people to dress up as their favourite saints, and schools, then, give prizes for the best efforts.”
OFFER PRAYERS, NOT TREATS
The priest suggested that children should scrap trick or treating and instead go around offering prayers to saints.
He said: “Furthermore, instead of ‘trick-or-treating’, the young could also go around to their neighbours offering to pray to those saints for their intentions.
“It would certainly gain help from the saints and it might even gain a few chocolates also for the young from grateful neighbours! Thus, we might see a return again of something of the Christian to this season.”