A city council meeting in the United States has sparked controversy after a former council member opened the gathering with a prayer dedicated to Satan.
The incident happened during a meeting of the City Council in Ottumwa, a city in Iowa, where former council member Matt Dalbey, who is a member of The Satanic Temple, was invited to give the opening invocation.
An invocation is a prayer or statement made at the beginning of an official meeting.
During his remarks, Dalbey encouraged people to reject traditional beliefs and seek knowledge. He referred to the biblical story of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and described this as a symbol of freedom from what he called “comforting delusions.”
He then ended his remarks with the words, “It is done. Hail, Satan!”
The statement immediately drew a strong reaction from local pastor Rick Bick, who objected to the prayer.
“Let’s just reverse this curse that was put on our city. That ‘Hail Satan’ is not welcome here,” Bick said.
Following the incident, Mayor Benjamin Foote called for a 30-second moment of silence.
According to the city, its policy allows people with different religious beliefs—including people who do not believe in God—to participate in opening council meetings. The city also says allowing someone to speak does not mean it supports or agrees with what that person says.
