Spectators at a German soccer game were stunned by a Satanic prayer led by one of the teams.  FC Kaiserslautern, known as the “Red Devils,” took on Fortuna Düsseldorf at the Fritz Walter Stadium in Kaiserslautern, where they displayed the choreographed prayer. Members of the crowd formed a massive red pentagram that included a banner in Latin which read “Exaudi Nos, Lucifer, Et Surge Ex Abysso, Sume Animas Nostras,” or “Hear us, Lucifer, rise from the abyss and accept our souls.” The display was then followed up by a huge devil emerging from within the pentagram and a banner stating, “Ad Lucem Nos Trahe, Orbem Mundi Regna, Surge ex Flammis et Appare,” meaning “Draw us to the light, rule over the world, rise from the flames and appear.”

Coach Markus Anfang praised the chant, calling it a “goosebump moment.” “It was simply fun to be here in this stadium today,” he said. Catholic journal Die Tagespost criticized the display as ignorant of the realities of the devil. “It would be absurd to think that tens of thousands of genuine Satanists gathered there,” the journal stated. “One might rather assume that the fans involved don’t actually believe in the existence of the devil and therefore don’t understand what could be offensive or even dangerous about their actions. For most people, the devil is about as real as Rumpelstiltskin or Harry Potter.” It added, however, that Christians cannot go along with this idea of “harmless fun.” “Christians are aware not only of the real existence of the devil and hell, but also of the fact that the decisive battles people must fight in their lives are of a spiritual nature.”

The display was criticized on X with many stating the crowd didn’t seem to understand they were summoning demons. “Soccer team in Germany called the Red Devils are literally summoning their ‘Mascot’ (the Devil) and chanting for it to ‘take their souls,’” wrote one account. “Participating in a Satanic ritual unknowingly.” “Satan is thriving in Germany,” wrote another account. Dr. Taylor Marshall, a former Episcopal priest who is now a Catholic commentator, criticized the display on his podcast. “This isn’t just like ‘Hey, Satan’s kind of cool.’” he said. “This is calling out, invoking Lucifer from the abyss and saying, ‘Take our souls.’ This is really sinful.”