I read on a Google news article that the Vatican and our Holy Father have condemned Halloween due to its anti-Christian, culture-of-death nature and its chances for the introduction to the occult. If I am not mistaken, is this anything new? I seriously doubt it.

While I still have no problems with trick-or-treating, costumes, pumpkin carving, and the like, as a Catholic who is trying to be good, I can see that it is important to be cautious of what we are involved in. The feast of All Saints should give us wings about who we should celebrate.

If parents choose to dress their kids as ghosts, ghouls, and the like I feel they would be wise to listen to Rome and catechize their children that such dressing up could be done as a "slap in the face" of the Evil One who has lost the battle. Likewise trick-or-treating, parties, and the like should also take on an air of staying away from occult and New Age stuff, while remembering the significance of All Saints Day.

Peter--

Thank you for sharing your opinion. The article you read also reported an opinion piece, not from "the Vatican" or from the Holy Father, but from L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's newspaper (but not, generally speaking, its mouthpiece). See this article for more information.

Please be cautious before uncritically accepting media reports that "the Vatican" condemns this or that. Usually, once you read the report, you will find that the splashy headline may draw notice but it may not match the facts. In this case, "Vatican Condemns Halloween" makes for a better news "event" than "Spanish Priest Says Halloween is Anti-Christian."

Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers

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