PRIEST: CELEBRATE SAINTS NOT DEMONS

Trick or treating ‘is road to occult’

AN outspoken priest has described kids dressed up as evil characters as a “complete betrayal of the Christian faith”.

Fr Richard O’connor – a priest of the Diocese of Kerry – insisted he wants to see Halloween “get back to its true meaning” – and said Catholics should lead the way.

He thinks children should dress as saints to mark the date, describing trick or treat traditions as possible “avenues towards the occult”.

The opinionated padre, who once called for a Communion ban on couples living in sin”, made his comments in The Irish Catholic newspaper.

Fr O’connor said: “We’re supposed to be celebrating the Feast of All Saints’ [November 1] and we have the kids dressing up as demons and devils and witches and things like that.

“It shows a complete betrayal of the Christian faith on this particular point.”

The priest, who teaches in the Pontifical Angelicum University in Rome, told how he reckons children should dress as saints as it “would give real meaning”.

He added: “Certainly, have Halloween parties, but have them centred on the saints. I would expect Catholic schools to give the lead in that respect.

“The word ‘Halloween’ means the eve of the feast of All Saints. Yet on shop windows and school windows, we see images of ghosts, skeletons, witches, demons etc.

“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’.

“Instead of ‘trick or treating’, the young could go around to their neighbours offering to pray to those saints for their intentions.”

Dressing as monsters a complete betrayal of the faith

FR RICHARD O’CONNOR

YESTERDAY