Petition: No Hubertus Masses in churches
Around Saint Hubert's Day on 3 November, Hubertus Masses are held in numerous churches. They are often co-organised by recreational hunters and accompanied by hunting horn players; in some places, hunting trophies or taxidermied non-human animals are also part of the staging. This petition calls on the churches to stop giving recreational hunting their blessing or a platform.
Support the petition and also write to your own parish or congregation if it announces a Hubertus Mass. You will find known dates in the ticker “Hubertus Masses 2026: Vigils and protests at a glance”.
Our demands
The signatories call on parishes and congregations, as well as the Swiss Bishops' Conference and the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland:
- No more Hubertus Masses. No more Hubertus Masses are to be celebrated in churches, and no church premises are to be made available to recreational hunting for this purpose.
- No blessing for recreational hunting. No blessings that are dedicated to recreational hunting or that lend it religious legitimacy. No blessing of hunting weapons. No display of killed or taxidermied wild animals, hunting trophies or pelts as hunting decoration inside the church.
- Preserve creation instead of hunting it. On Saint Hubert's Day, the churches hold services dedicated to the preservation of creation, in which the protection of wild animals is also given a voice.
- A clear recommendation from church leadership. The Swiss Bishops' Conference and the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland issue a corresponding recommendation to their congregations.
The legend: Hubertus stopped
A widespread version of the Hubert legend tells of a passionate hunter who pursues a red deer in order to kill it. The deer turns to face him, a cross shines between its antlers, and Hubert hears the question: “Why do you hunt me?” He lays down his weapon and renounces hunting.
For us, this story stands for a change of heart: away from killing, towards respect for life. Claiming Hubert as the patron saint of recreational hunting contradicts this message. More on this in the article “When the church blesses killing during the Hubertus mass”.
Why the church should not offer a platform
Even if Hubertus Masses are described as an expression of responsibility for creation, they give recreational hunting an ecclesiastical stage. We regard this as a contradiction of wildlife protection. The churches profess compassion and the preservation of creation. We call for this commitment to be taken seriously with regard to wild animals as well. Killing non-human animals as a leisure pursuit should neither be given ecclesiastical legitimacy nor be accompanied by a religious blessing. The detailed reasoning and our open letter to the parishes can be found in the article "Hubertus Masses: Why the Church Should Not Give Recreational Hunting a Stage".
Dialogue and change are possible
In October 2026, a Hubertus Mass did take place in Arlesheim Cathedral. However, the priest personally welcomed the Hunt Watch vigil and gave it his the entire collection. The Arbeitskreis Kirche und Tiere (AKUT) rejects Hubertus Masses in churches.
Read more: Hubertus Mass Ticker 2026 · Killing, torturing and mutilating with the church's blessing · Geneva: A canton without recreational hunting since 1974 · Section: Campaigns & Hunting
Dear members of the church councils and parish councils
Dear pastors and priests
Dear members of the church leadership
Around 3 November, Hubertus Masses are held in numerous churches. I ask you to refrain from doing so in future.
A widespread version of the Hubertus legend tells of a passionate hunter who, after encountering the stag, lays down his weapon and renounces hunting. To me, this story stands for a conversion: away from killing, towards respect for life. Appropriating Hubertus as the patron saint of recreational hunting contradicts this message.
Even if Hubertus Masses are described as an expression of responsibility for creation, they give recreational hunting an ecclesiastical stage. I regard this as a contradiction of wildlife protection. The churches profess compassion and the preservation of creation. I ask you to take this commitment seriously with regard to wild animals as well. Killing animals as a leisure pursuit should neither be given ecclesiastical legitimacy nor be accompanied by a religious blessing.
I call on you to:
To no longer celebrate Hubertus Masses in your churches and to no longer make church premises available for recreational hunting.
To refrain from offering blessings that celebrate recreational hunting or lend it religious legitimacy, not to bless hunting weapons, and not to allow killed or stuffed wild animals, hunting trophies or pelts to be displayed as hunting decorations inside the church.
To hold services on St Hubert's Day instead that celebrate the preservation of creation and give a voice to the protection of wild animals.
To issue a corresponding recommendation to congregations as the church leadership.
Yours sincerely
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