Criticism of Hubertus Mass in Wegenstetten

On November 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM, a Hubertus Mass with the 'Jagdhornbläser Fricktal' is scheduled to take place in the Catholic Church of St. Michael in Wegenstetten. The IG Wild beim Wild sharply criticizes this event and calls on the Church to clearly distance itself from hunting and its glorification.

Hubertus Masses, which are primarily attended and co-organized by militant recreational hunters, contradict all Christian ethics in the view of IG Wild beim Wild. Instead of teaching respect for life, they symbolically give their blessing to killing.

'Celebrating a worship service that gives hunters ecclesiastical support for killing defenseless fellow creatures sends a completely wrong signal,' says Julia Bielecki, theologian. 'Churches must advocate for the preservation of creation, not for its destruction.'»

There are people who shape their daily lives with falsehoods, brutal violence, hatred and dishonesty. Such beings gladly join hunting associations and hunting horn groups and wallow with like-minded individuals in this breeding ground.

As with military signal trumpets, the hunting horn consists mainly of variants of the natural trumpet with a very limited, primitive and unusual tonal range for the war music of recreational hunters. Such events are hoped to recruit new members for the sectarian and violence-prone hunting associations.

Recreational hunters spread unspeakable suffering, terror and misery among both humans and wildlife. Practically everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless is promoted by hunting associations, as recently confirmed bya court in Bellinzona.

Recreational hunters practice speciesism. Speciesism is comparable to racism and sexism, and that is not culture or tradition.

Hunting exacerbates the problem instead of solving it

The IG refers to numerous scientific studies that prove hunting is not suitable for permanently regulating wildlife populations. Particularly with wild boar, raccoons or foxes, high hunting pressure leads to animals becoming sexually mature earlier and reproducing faster. 'Those who shoot more and more create not less, but more animal cruelty,' says the IG.

Added to this are the massive animal welfare problems: In driven hunts, according to the Veterinary Association for Animal Protection, up to two-thirds of the animals shot do not die immediately. They flee with shattered bones or open wounds and often die agonizingly after days.

Distorted Hubertus legend

The Hubertus Mass refers to the legend of Saint Hubertus, but misses its core. After the encounter with the cross-bearing stag, Hubertus ended hunting and turned to Christ.«The real message is to live in peace with animals – not to harass, injure and kill them», so the IG.

Christianity is a religion of mercy and respect for life. Nowhere in the Bible is there any indication that Christ hunted animals. On the contrary: «Thou shalt not kill» applies universally.

Appeal to the Church

The IG Wild beim Wild urgently calls on church representatives to distance themselves from violence-glorifying Hubertus masses and to take responsibility for preserving creation. «Those who bless animals in God's name only to have them senselessly killed afterwards mock the Gospel and become complicit in senseless animal suffering.»