Criticism of Hubertus Mass in Eich

On January 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM, a Hubertus Mass with the «Natural Horn Players Auerhahn Lucerne» is scheduled to take place at the Catholic Church in Eich. 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 hobby hunters, contradict all Christian ethics from the perspective of IG Wild beim Wild. Instead of teaching respect for life, they symbolically give blessing to kill.

«Celebrating a service that gives hunters church backing 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 untruths, brute force, hatred and falsehood. Such beings like to join hunting associations and hunting horn groups and wallow with like-minded individuals in this breeding ground.

As with military signal trumpets, hunting horns are predominantly variants of natural trumpets with a very limited, primitive and unfamiliar tonal range for the war music of hobby hunters. Such events hope to recruit new members for the sectarian and violence-prone hunting associations.

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

Hobby hunters practice speciesism. Speciesism is comparable to racism and sexism, and this 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 wild animal populations. Particularly with wild boar, raccoons or foxes, high hunting pressure causes the animals to reach sexual maturity earlier and reproduce faster. 'The more you shoot, the more animal cruelty you create, not less,' according to the IG.

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

Distorted legend of Saint Hubertus

The Hubertus mass refers to the legend of Saint Hubertus, but misses its core message. After his encounter with the stag bearing a cross, Hubertus ended hunting and turned to Christ.'The actual message is to live in peace with animals – not to chase, injure and kill them', according to the IG.

Christianity is a religion of mercy and reverence 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

IG Wild beim Wild urgently calls upon church representatives to distance themselves from violence-glorifying Hubertus masses and to acknowledge their responsibility for the preservation of creation. 'Those who bless animals in God's name only to subsequently allow them to be killed senselessly mock the Gospel and make themselves complicit in meaningless animal suffering.'