Hubertus Mass in Arlesheim Cathedral: priest thanks hunting opponents, collection goes to Hunt Watch
Instead of confrontation there was a handshake and vegan refreshments: the vigil against the Hubertus Mass on 25 October 2026 ends with a remarkable gesture from the Church.
Vigil outside Arlesheim Cathedral on 25 October 2026. Photo: HUNT WATCH
Why are you hunting me
On Sunday, 25 October 2026, activists from the group HUNT WATCH stood in front of the cathedral in Arlesheim (BL). Inside, the parish was celebrating its annual Hubertus Mass, accompanied by hunting horn players, followed by an aperitif hosted by the Arlesheim hunting society. Outside, an authorised vigil was held against the church's glorification of recreational hunting. What happened next surprised the activists themselves. This is reported by Olivier Bieli, who says he took part in the vigil together with HUNT WATCH, in a Facebook post dated 26 October. The IG Wild beim Wild had already addressed the Hubertus Mass in advance in a Press Release .
The priest welcomes the vigil
According to Bieli, the parish priest in charge greeted the group in person even before the start and provided them with vegan food. He is said to have expressly thanked them for their work and spoken out against violence. Churchgoers told the group that the priest had mentioned the vigil several times during the service and appealed for understanding for their cause.
After the Mass, according to his account, the priest thanked each activist individually with a handshake. He also promised a conversation with the group.
The collection goes to animal rights work
The biggest surprise concerned the collection. According to Bieli, the entire collection from the Hubertus Mass was awarded to HUNT WATCH's animal rights work. Of all things, the money from a service honouring recreational hunters is now said to benefit the protection of hunted wild animals.
Members of the public also sought conversation outside the cathedral. Two elderly churchgoers said they had been living vegan for 20 years and reject recreational hunting. Another person spontaneously joined the movement.
The municipality approved the vigil
According to Bieli, the municipality of Arlesheim had authorised the vigil in advance. He thanked the public order service and the municipal council for their swift and straightforward handling.
A signal to the churches
HUNT WATCH's demand remains clear: the churches should distance themselves unequivocally from violence against animals and stop offering a stage to recreational hunting. Arlesheim shows that parishes need not stand still at tradition. The legend of Saint Hubertus tells of a hunter who lays down his weapon. Why this legend sits poorly with a Mass for recreational hunting is something the IG Wild beim Wild explained in its press release on the Hubertus Mass in Arlesheim Cathedral. The same criticism applies to the church blessing in the monastery church of Mariastein.
The priest's gesture does not change the fact that a Mass with hunting horns was celebrated in the cathedral. But it shows that a change of thinking is possible within the churches. It arises where people enter into conversation. Further background can be found in the dossier animal rights and in the section recreational hunting.
More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier The Role and Criticism of Recreational Hunters we shed light on the training, power and self-image of recreational hunters. What the research says about this is shown by Hunting fact-checked: the state of research.
The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.
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All articles are written by IG Wild beim Wild as well as by external co-authors. Research, structuring and editorial processes may be supported by AI-assisted tools.
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