Nils Huenerfuerst / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // On March 18, Kansas legislators amended and further narrowed their Capitol building and grounds policy for all demonstrators, potentially affecting a satanic group’s plans to perform a sacrilegious ritual next week at the Capitol, according to a report from the Kansas Reflector.
Before they moved to amend the policy, the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council at the March 18 meeting heard from Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who said that the state should not facilitate the crime of destruction of stolen property – which in this instance would be the destruction of the Blessed Sacrament during the satanic worship ritual.
Kobach explained that on March 14 the Archdiocese of Kansas City filed a lawsuit in a district court alleging, under sworn testimony, that the satanists have stolen a consecrated host that they intend to desecrate at the satanic worship ritual – a so-called “black mass” – at the Kansas Capitol on March 28.
Kobach said that, according to the filing, it is possible a “theft by deception,” which the state of Kansas regards as a crime, has occurred. A theft by deception occurs when the perpetrator pretends to be someone other than he is in order to steal property, Kobach explained.
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Kobach noted that the organization planning the satanic worship ritual has also stated they intend to destroy the stolen consecrated host, meaning that a second crime would be committed.
“So we believe that, although of course there are free speech concerns, and though the Capitol has been a public forum, there are also limits,” Kobach said. “And you cannot use the cloak of the First Amendment to commit crimes; and here, there would be at least two crimes committed on state property.”
“And so we believe that in this circumstance,” he continued, “it would be well within the First Amendment — and it would also be appropriate in the state’s interest of preventing crimes — for the state not to facilitate this crime occurring, either inside the Capitol, or on the Capitol grounds.”
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Kobach had sent a letter expressing this stance to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, according to the March 18 meeting.
The Legislative Coordinating Council, which includes Democratic and Republican leadership, unanimously passed the policy amendments, which include prohibiting gathering at the Capitol if a group or group member “has stated explicitly that the meeting or gathering will involve a violation of law,” according to the Kansas Reflector. The amendments also prohibits gatherings if police have verified that an involved person has made a threat against an elected public official.
Masterson said during the March 18 council meeting that officials have submitted information to Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Director Tony Mattivi.
Masterson said there has been “an instance with this particular group and individual threatening members of the legislature, so with those two things in mind, that are obviously not dealing with free speech but dealing with actions, I had [Revisor of Statutes] Gordon [Self] write up some amendments to our building and grounds policy.”
The Kansas Reflector also reported that the Council leaders have asked Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to deploy the Kansas Highway Patrol to stop the satanic worship ritual from taking place at the Capitol. A spokesperson for Kelly said the governor’s office is reviewing the Council’s actions.
In an interview with the Kansas Reflector, Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, denied the Archdiocese’s allegations that he stole the consecrated hosts for the satanic worship ritual and said that he still intends to go to the Capitol March 28.
>>CatholicVote launches petition to stop ‘black mass’ at Kansas Capitol<<
The satanic group has said the planned ritual is a pro-abortion protest, and the state’s governor and other elected officials have said the activity is protected under the First Amendment, as CatholicVote previously reported.
The House Committee on Federal and State Affairs also had a meeting March 18 in which they passed a House Resolution that denounces the satanic worship ritual scheduled for March 28.
The resolution states the 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.
“Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas: That we denounce 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; and Be it further resolved: That we call upon all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God.”
In the resolution, the House also calls on Kansas Governor Kelly “to condemn the stated activity and its implicit use of stolen property.”
>>CatholicVote launches petition to stop ‘black mass’ at Kansas Capitol<<
