By Jonah McKeown
CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 11:30 am
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, recently made headlines when he settled a lawsuit against the leaders of a Kansas Satanist group. The lawsuit was filed after the defendants testified under oath that the hosts and wine they planned to desecrate in a Satanic ritual were not of Catholic origin.
On March 14, Naumann took legal action in Leavenworth County District Court to secure the safe return of the Eucharist from the co-founder of the Satanist group. This came after the co-founder had boasted online of possessing a “consecrated host” that the group intended to desecrate during an upcoming “black mass.”
The defendants named in the lawsuit were Michael T. Stewart and Travis L.
The Satanic Grotto Society, a nonprofit registered in Linwood, Kansas, is at the center of a legal battle involving Archbishop Joseph Naumann and two residents, Stewart and Roberts. The controversy stems from allegations that the group plans to desecrate a consecrated host during a planned “black mass” at the Kansas state capitol.
“Satanist” groups have been known to stage such blasphemous rituals in direct mockery of the Catholic Mass. The Eucharist, which Catholics believe to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, holds immense significance in the faith.
Archbishop Naumann invoked Kansas law related to the return of personal property, arguing that the Satanists are not authorized to possess the consecrated elements and must have obtained them illegally. The lawsuit demands the immediate delivery of the items to the Church.
Screenshots of Reddit posts by a user named “xsimon666x” claiming to have the consecrated host and wine were submitted as evidence. The defendants, Stewart and Roberts, admitted to using the xsimon666x alias. A promotional flyer for the planned ritual outlines disturbing components like the “Denounciation of Christ” and the “Desecration of the Eucharist.”
Archbishop Naumann emphasized the irreplaceable value of the Eucharist and urged the court to compel its safe return to the Church. The legal battle underscores the clash between religious freedom and sacrilegious acts, with the Eucharist standing at the heart of the dispute.
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