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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The leader of a small group of self-described satanists and three other people were arrested Friday following a scuffle inside the Kansas Statehouse arising from an effort by the group’s leader to start a Black Mass in the rotunda.

About 30 members of the Kansas City-area Satanic Grotto, led by its president, Michael Stewart, rallied outside the Statehouse for the separation of church and state. The group also protested what members called the state’s favoritism toward Christians in allowing events inside. Gov. Laura Kelly temporarily banned protests inside, just for Friday, weeks after Stewart’s group scheduled its indoor ceremony.

The Satanic Grotto’s rally outside drew hundreds of Christian counterprotesters because of the Grotto’s satanic imagery, and its indoor ceremony included denouncing Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. About 100 Christians stood against yellow police tape marking the Satanic Grotto’s area. The two groups yelled at each other while the Christians also sang and called on Grotto members to accept Jesus. Several hundred more Christians rallied on the other side of the Grotto’s area, but further away.

Kelly issued her order earlier this month after Roman Catholic groups pushed her to ban any Satanic Grotto event. The state’s Catholic Bishops called what the group planned “a despicable act of anti-Catholic bigotry” mocking the Catholic Mass. Both chambers of the Legislature also approved resolutions condemning it.

“The Bible says Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, so when we dedicate a state to Satan, we’re dedicating it to death,” said Jeremiah Hicks, a pastor at the Cure Church in Kansas City, Kansas.

Satanic Grotto members, who number several dozen, said they hold a variety of beliefs. Some are atheists, some use the group to protest harm they suffered as church members, and others see Satan as a symbol of independence.

Amy Dorsey, a friend of Stewart’s, said she rallied with the Satanic Grotto to support free speech rights and religious freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, in part because Christian groups are allowed to meet regularly inside the Statehouse for prayer or worship meetings.

Before his arrest, Stewart said his group scheduled its Black Mass for Friday because it thought the Kansas Legislature would be in session, though lawmakers adjourned late Thursday night for their annual spring break. Stewart said the group might come back next year.

“Maybe un-baptisms, right here in the Capitol,” he said.

Video shot by KSNT-TV showed that when Stewart tried to conduct his group’s ceremony in the first-floor rotunda, a young man tried to snatch Stewart’s script from his hands, and Stewart punched him. Several Kansas Highway Patrol troopers wrestled Stewart to the ground and handcuffed him. They led him through hallways on the ground floor below and into a room as he yelled, “Hail, Satan!”

Stewart’s wife, Maenad Bee, told reporters, “He’s only exercising his First Amendment rights.”

Online records showed that Stewart, 42, was jailed briefly Friday afternoon on suspicion of disorderly conduct and having an unlawful assembly, then released on $1,000 bond.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, which provides security at the Statehouse, said two others who entered the building with Stewart also were arrested for unlawful assembly, Jocelyn Frazee, 32, and Sean Anderson, 50. Frazee had no bond set; information for Anderson was not available online.

Witnesses and friends identified the young man trying to snatch away the Black Mass script as Marcus Schroeder, who came to counterprotest with fellow members of a Kansas City-area church. Online records show Schroeder, 21, was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct, with his bond also set at $1,000.

A friend of Schroeder’s, Jonathan Storms, said he was trying to help a woman who also sought to snatch away Stewart’s script and “didn’t throw any punches.”

The woman, Karla Delgado, said she came to the Statehouse with her three youngest children to deliver a petition protesting the Black Mass to Kelly’s office. Delgado said she approached Stewart because he was violating the governor’s order and Highway Patrol troopers weren’t immediately arresting him. She said in the ensuing confusion, her 4-year-old daughter was knocked to the ground.

“When we saw that nobody was doing anything — I guess just in the moment of it — it was like, ‘He’s not supposed to be allowed to do this,’ so we tried to stop him,” she said.

Mosaics by alleged abuser Father Marko Rupnik are displayed throughout the shrine in Lourdes, France. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Mar 31, 2025 / 11:03 am (CNA).

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France announced Monday that the entrances to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, featuring art by the disgraced artist Father Marko Rupnik, are being covered.

Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes called the decision a “second step” after his initial decision in July 2024 to no longer light up the mosaics at night and during processions.

“You know my opinion about the presence of these mosaics on the doors of the basilica. It seemed to me, together with my collaborators, that a new symbolic step had to be taken to make the entrance to the basilica easier for all those who today cannot cross the threshold,” Micas said in an online post from the renowned Marian apparition site.

Mosaics by the alleged sexual abuser Rupnik, who is under investigation and awaiting a trial by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, were added to the neo-Gothic facade of the lower Lourdes basilica in 2008.

The basilica’s side doors were covered on the morning of March 31, and the two central doors will be covered in a few days, according to the shrine. The coverings are yellow with small crosses and the words “With Mary, Pilgrims of Hope 2025.”

For the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, Micas decreed the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes to be one of two places in the diocese where pilgrims can receive a jubilee plenary indulgence. He said “passing through the entrance doors of the basilica had to be symbolic of the moment,” and noted that the third Friday of Lent, March 28, was also the Memorial Day of Prayer for the victims of sexual abuse committed in the Church of France.

After forming a special commission in May 2023, Micas announced in July 2024 that, as a “first step,” he had decided the mosaics will no longer be lit up at night during the shrine’s nightly candlelight rosary processions. He said his personal opinion was that the art installations should be completely removed, but it was too early for a final decision.

The shrine’s next steps regarding the Rupnik artwork, Micas said on March 31, is to continue with the commission “to move forward calmly rather than under pressure from various sources.”

“We are working for the long term, for the victims, for the Church, for Lourdes and its message for all,” he added.

Marlene Watkins, the leader of the North American Lourdes Volunteers, posted on the Facebook page “Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers” on Monday, welcoming the French bishop’s “thoughtful, prayerful, and courageous discernment to address this art in the sanctuary.”

“This step in his wise plan makes it possible for some and easier for many victims and those who love them to enter the Holy Doors for this jubilee. His timing seems slow to some unaware of French art legalities — but his plan is prudent and methodical to take measured steps to make the removal possible. He asked for our prayers for this from the announcement of his decision. Please, let us continue to pray,” Watkins wrote.

The mosaics from Rupnik and his art and theology school, the Centro Aletti in Rome, depict the luminous mysteries of the rosary with the Wedding Feast at Cana in the center. Rupnik’s signature red dot decorates one of the arched panels above the entrance.

Rupnik, a priest and artist, has been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters. He was removed from the Jesuits in June 2023. He is currently facing a canonical trial over the allegations he abused dozens of women religious, including some within the context of the creation of his art.

The priest’s prolific art career has created a problem for many shrines and Catholic churches across Europe and North America. Rupnik’s workshop was involved in projects for over 200 liturgical spaces around the world, including Fátima, the Vatican, the John Paul II shrine in Washington, D.C., and the tomb of St. Padre Pio.

The Knights of Columbus last year covered mosaics by Rupnik in the two chapels of the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington and in the chapel at the Knights’ headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut, a dramatic move that represented at the time the strongest public stand by a major Catholic organization regarding the former Jesuit’s embattled art.

Religion News Foundation (RNF) today announced the receipt of a $75,000 grant from the Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF) to support coverage by Religion News Service (RNS) of Hindus and Hinduism. As an independent, non-profit newsroom, RNS informs readers with objective reporting and insightful commentary, and is relied upon by readers, listeners and viewers in the United States and around the world.

The Guru Krupa Foundation’s support over the past few years has been key to RNS fulfilling its mission to increase religious literacy among its readers and in the broader news environment.     

“We thank the Guru Krupa Foundation for its continued support of RNS. This support has made it possible for RNS to further deepen and expand its coverage and commentary about Hindus and Hinduism. In an increasingly complicated and polarized world, RNS has an important role to play: It is a news source that people along the religious and political spectrum trust to handle with balance and nuance an issue as complex and complicated as religion. Central to that role is RNS’s coverage of Hindus and Hinduism, highlighting for our readers the increasingly important Hindu community in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher of RNF/S. 

The foundation’s grant has allowed RNS to cover Hinduism alongside every other major faith in the United States and has helped increase the public’s awareness of the tents of various Hindu traditions, as well as the daily lives of everyday Hindu Americans.

“RNS is the only secular media outlet whose readers can count on finding regular stories about Hindus and Hinduism. The Guru Krupa Foundation’s support has given RNS the ability to produce stories that help non-Hindu readers explore the faith, while giving Hindus a place to share their experiences alongside other faiths,” said Paul O’Donnell, RNS’s Editor-in-Chief.  

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ABOUT RELIGION NEWS FOUNDATION
Religion News Foundation (RNF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999. Its purpose is to enhance understanding and drive conversation about religion, and support independent journalism that produces these stories. RNF views religion as an evolving landscape that spans belief and non-belief; long-established communities and emerging spiritual innovators; communal practices and customs; and individual searches for meaning. 

ABOUT RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Religion News Service is an independent, nonprofit source of global news on religion, spirituality, culture and ethics, reported by a staff of professional journalists. Founded in 1934, RNS informs readers with objective reporting and insightful commentary, and is relied upon by readers, listeners and viewers in the United States and around the world. Visit ReligionNews.com.

ABOUT THE GURU KRUPA FOUNDATION
The Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF) is a private foundation incorporated in the State of New York. The purpose of the foundation is to fund several charitable causes. Its principles and philosophy, derived from the value system of Hinduism, may be succinctly summarized as: 1.) Help those who are less fortunate than yourself; 2.) Support causes related to the acquisition of knowledge (both materialistic and non-materialistic); and 3.) Preserve the heritage and knowledge that has already been acquired. Visit Guru Krupa Foundation Inc.

Bishop Michael McGovern preaches at the Mass for Life during the Illinois March for Life in Springfield, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. / Credit: Diocese of Springfield

Rome Newsroom, Mar 31, 2025 / 10:03 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Monday appointed Bishop Michael McGovern of Belleville, Illinois, to lead the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, after he accepted the resignation of Omaha Archbishop George Lucas.

McGovern, 60, has led the Diocese of Belleville since April 2020. The Chicago native will be installed as archbishop of Omaha in the Cathedral of St. Cecilia on May 7.

He succeeds Lucas, who submitted his resignation when he turned 75 in June 2024 as required by canon law. Lucas has led the Archdiocese of Omaha since 2009.

McGovern is the youngest child of a large Catholic family. He grew up in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, where he attended Christ the King Parish and grammar school and was an altar server.

He was ordained a priest in 1994, and in 2020 he was named bishop of Belleville, Illinois.

The archbishop-designate of Omaha is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Since 2021, he has served as the state chaplain for the Illinois Knights of Columbus.

In 2022, the Diocese of Belleville announced it would sell the historic mansion that had served as the bishop’s residence for over 70 years, with the majority of the proceeds being used for a diocesan maternity fund for expectant mothers.

“I hope to live more simply and, as a pastor, I believe the proceeds from the sale of the home can be better used in helping pregnant mothers in need, assisting families seeking a Catholic education, and providing programs for our youth,” McGovern said about the decision to sell the property.

“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.” ~Bessel A. van der Kolk

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 31, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently sent a letter to federal senators and representatives urging them to defund Planned Parenthood and stop taxpayer money from funding services such as abortions and transgender procedures that “gravely violate human dignity.”

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron and Toledo, Ohio, Bishop Daniel Thomas, the chairmen of the USCCB’s marriage and pro-life committees, respectively, wrote the letter last Thursday to “affirm our support for stopping taxpayer funding of the abortion and ‘gender transition’ industries.”

The letter was sent following the announcement that the Trump administration plans to freeze millions of taxpayer dollars from subsidizing abortion services via the federal Title X program.

The bishops addressed the senators on the same day hundreds of pro-life advocates went to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to cut the “funding of the abortion industry in the budget reconciliation process,” the prelates said.

“Necessary, long-standing, and historically bipartisan policies like the Hyde Amendment help prevent public funding for elective abortions themselves,” the bishops said, citing the decades-old rule that forbids federal funding of most abortions.

“Yet Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S. at over 390,000 preborn children killed per year (about 40% of the total), still receives nearly $700 million annually — about a third of its revenue — from taxpayers,” they noted.

The letter further argued that federal funds to Planned Parenthood must be cut not just to limit abortion but also the gender ideology the organization promotes.  

Planned Parenthood is “the nation’s ‘second-largest provider of hormone therapy’ for patients attempting ‘gender transition,’” the bishops said. 

“The off-label use of hormones and puberty blockers has proven to be a lucrative billion-dollar business in an ever-growing market,” they wrote. “Planned Parenthood offers ‘gender transition’ services at nearly 450 clinics across the nation, surpassing the number of its locations that perform abortions.”

Planned Parenthood itself has admitted that most of these patients leave their first visit with a hormone prescription, the bishops noted.

“As the rate of these destructive services has dramatically increased, so too has government funding,” the bishops said. They asked Congress to put the money toward supporting families in need rather than helping harmful services be carried out.

“As you consider how to best steward taxpayer resources in the weeks ahead, we call upon you to stop funding abortion and ‘gender transition’ industries that gravely violate human dignity. Instead, we urge you to prioritize the needs of struggling families so they can flourish,” the bishops said.