Great Britain: The bishop of Bolton warns against Halloween

On October 27, Mgr David Gillett, bishop of Bolton, declared in Crux, the magazine of the Manchester diocese, that the origin of Halloween dates back to more than 2,000 years ago and refers to the ancient Celtic Samhain festival which celebrated the end of summer and the gathering of the harvests. "We have seen the development of a great craze for New Age spiritualities sometimes associated with shady occult happenings", he affirmed. And through the centuries, occult and "dangerous" characteristics have been added on to Halloween in many ways.

The bishop of Bolton opposed the practice of the "treat or trick" used by the children to obtain candies when they knock at the doors: Halloween fosters an unwholesome fascination for satanic cults and encourages children to roam the streets at night". So, Mgr Gillett, asked Catholics to organize substitute festivals for Halloween in their parish, giving as an example what is done in his diocese where the children gather for an evening party in the church… with music on the stage and games.