Criticism of Hubertus mass in Wildegg

On September 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM, a Hubertus mass with the «Jagdhornbläsergruppe SonatES» is scheduled to take place in the Catholic church of Wildegg. 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 grant blessing to kill.

«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 untruths, brute force, hatred and falsehood. Such beings gladly join hunting associations and hunting horn groups and wallow with like-minded individuals in this cesspool.

As with military signal trumpets, the hunting horn is predominantly variants of the natural trumpet with a very limited, primitive and unusual tonal range for the war music of hobby hunters. Such events are hoped 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 by a court in Bellinzona.

Hobby 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 references 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 reaching sexual maturity earlier and reproducing more rapidly. «Those who shoot more and more do not create less, but more animal cruelty», states the IG.

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

Distorted Hubertus legend

The Hubertus Mass invokes the legend of Saint Hubertus, but misses its core message. After his encounter with the cross-bearing stag, Hubertus ended hunting and turned to Christ.«The actual message is to live in peace with animals – not to hunt, injure and kill them», states 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 upon church representatives to distance themselves from violence-glorifying Hubertus Masses and to assume their responsibility for preserving creation. «Those who bless animals in God's name only to then have them senselessly killed mock the Gospel and make themselves complicit in senseless animal suffering.»

As a hunting horn player, one engages in public relations work particularly at the Hubertus Mass. «We are essentially the mouthpiece of hunting, the communication medium between hunters and the public», explains hobby hunter Buri-Frank.