Oklahoma bishop drops lawsuit against Satanic 'black mass' after communion wafer returned

By Heide Brandes

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma on Thursday dropped a lawsuit filed a day earlier against a Satanic church after it turned over to a Catholic priest a consecrated host, or communion wafer, Satanists planned to use in a "black mass."

"I am relieved that we have been able to secure the return of the sacred Host and that we have prevented its desecration as part of a planned Satanic worship invites into our community and the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly," he said.

A lawyer for the Angra Mainyu Satanic group named in the suit turned over the communion wafer on Thursday.

The Catholic Archdiocese claimed the communion wafer was obtained "by illicit means." Adam Daniels, leader of Angra Mainyu, said the wafer was sent to him from a priest in Turkey who is also a Satanist.

Daniels said the Angra Mainyu will instead use Black Forest bread from Germany in its ceremony, set for Sept. 21 at the Civic Center in Oklahoma City. The use of Black Forest bread, Daniels said, is a practice that dates back to the 1600s.

The Black Mass of Oklahoma has been held for several years and has faced resistance from state and local leaders as well as setting off anger in a state where many identify themselves as deeply religious Christians.

The black mass is a modern ritual to celebrate the perversion of the Catholic Mass, Angra Mainyu said. The group will also hold a Satanic exorcism, designed to drive out the "Holy Ghost" from a person, it said.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Eric Walsh)