In a society that has lost the sense of the sacred and allows itself to be dragged by the macabre and the irrational, the International Association of Exorcists has published a text titled “The Deception of Halloween, the Beauty of All Saints”. Its message is clear: behind the apparent innocence of costumes and pumpkins, a dark spiritual reality hides that, every year, gains ground in the hearts of children and young people.
The Pagan Root and the Disguise of Evil
The exorcists warn that Halloween is not a simple popular festival nor an innocent celebration of costumes. It was born from the rituals of the Celtic Samhain, an ancient pagan festival dedicated to spirits and the world of the dead, now recovered by groups of modern witchcraft (Wicca) and Satanism. For these movements, the night of October 31 marks the “beginning of the year of witchcraft” or even of the “Satanic year.”
“From September 22,” the exorcists point out, “groups of magic and Satanism live a sort of ‘blasphemous Lent’ that culminates on Halloween night with rituals and profanations.” In contrast, for Christians, that same night is the luminous vigil of All Saints, a day of hope, purity, and communion with heaven.
The Culture of Horror and Moral Confusion
Halloween has transformed fear into fun, death into spectacle, and evil into play. The obsession with the creepy—monsters, demons, zombies, vampires, and witches—is not casual. The exorcists emphasize that “the appeal of these symbols is a sign of a deep inner malaise,” of a society that exalts ugliness and grows accustomed to the dark. By presenting the macabre as children’s entertainment, horror is sown in the minds of the little ones and the culture of death is normalized.
What began as a commercial fad has become a true catechesis of darkness. Even in schools and Christian environments, Halloween night is celebrated with a dangerous superficiality, ignoring its anti-Christian background. “Those who celebrate Halloween— the exorcists remind us—, even if they do not intend to, communicate with dark realities.”
The Banalization of Evil
The founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey, once said ironically: “I’m glad that Christian parents allow their children to worship the devil at least one night a year. Welcome to Halloween!” The phrase, more than a provocation, reveals an unsettling spiritual truth: when evil is trivialized, it stops seeming dangerous.
Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that evil is not a game, and that symbols, images, and words open doors in the soul. It is not a matter of superstition, but of spiritual realism. Man’s life is a battle between light and darkness, and no Catholic can flirt with darkness without staining their soul.
A Call to Evangelize Culture
The rise of Halloween coincides with the weakening of Christianity in public life. Where the Gospel has been silenced, magic and occultism flourish. For this reason, the exorcists call for a new evangelization that restores to families the sense of the holy and the beautiful. It is not about prohibiting, but about re-enchanting the world with the light of Christ.
Across Europe, Catholic initiatives are growing that offer a healthy and luminous alternative: the “Night of the Saints”, processions, prayer vigils, and Eucharistic adoration in reparation. Many priests and young people replace masks with holy cards of saints, costumes with testimonies of faith. Where darkness once reigned, the joy of heaven now shines today.
The Beauty that Conquers Darkness
The International Association of Exorcists reminds us that children “do not need horror, but hope; not darkness, but beauty.” The true beauty, the one that saves, is the one that shines in Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Christian pedagogy teaches that light does not combat darkness with fear, but with love. And where evil disguises itself as fun, the witness of the saints unmasks its lie.
Choosing Between Hell or Heaven
Halloween is not just a party; it is a sign of the times: a society that laughs at the demon while being ashamed to speak of God. But the human soul cannot live without light. The Catholic is called to choose: to celebrate the night of horror or the communion of the saints who precede us in glory?
As the Gospel teaches, “no one can serve two masters.” The Church does not need to adapt to the fashions of the world, but to remember that holiness is the true joy and that the feast of All Saints is the triumph of light over darkness.
In the face of Halloween, the Christian does not shut themselves away or take offense: they respond with beauty, prayer, and adoration. Because in a world that celebrates darkness, the mission of the Church is to kindle the light.