{"id":19277,"date":"2023-10-26T09:42:33","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T13:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=19277"},"modified":"2023-10-26T09:42:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T13:42:33","slug":"priest-apologizes-for-smashing-satanic-halloween-pumpkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2023\/10\/priest-apologizes-for-smashing-satanic-halloween-pumpkins","title":{"rendered":"Priest Apologizes For Smashing ‘Satanic’ Halloween Pumpkins"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Roman Catholic priest in the Czech Republic recently apologized to his small village after he destroyed a Halloween pumpkin display made by children because he thought it was \u201csatanic.\u201d Father Jaromir Smejkal, the parish priest at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Kurdejov, issued an open letter to the mayor, which was posted on the village\u2019s Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The priest wrote in the letter, which was first reported by Breclavsky Denik<\/a>, a local newspaper, \u201cLeaving the rectory on Sunday evening, I saw numerous symbols of the satanic feast of \u2018Halloween\u2019 placed in front of our sacred grounds.\u201d He continued, \u201cI acted according to my faith and duty to be a father and protector of the children entrusted to me and removed these symbols.\u201d<\/p>\n

The priest also blasted the modern Halloween celebration as part of the \u201cheathen, contemporary world\u201d in opposition to the traditional Christian holiday of All Souls\u2019 Day, which also falls on Oct. 31. According to the local outlet, children in the village of 500 people were reduced to tears after the priest smashed their pumpkins, and Smejkal stomped them for a second night in a row when they made replacements.<\/p>\n