Hubertus Masses: Why the church should not offer a stage to recreational hunting

According to the legend handed down, Hubertus was born around 655 as the son of a nobleman and died in 728. In his early years he led a pleasure-seeking life and was a passionate hunter. One day, while out hunting, he tracked down a red deer and pursued it in order to kill it, when the animal suddenly turned to face him. A cross shone between its antlers, and in the form of the deer Christ spoke to him: “Hubertus, why do you hunt me?” Hubertus dismounted and knelt before the deer. From that moment on, Hubertus gave up hunting and thereafter led a reverent life.

So goes the legend. After his encounter with the deer, Hubertus thus stopped hunting and became a devout Christian. For true Christianity and hunting simply do not go together. In his encounter with the deer he was, after all, presented with a choice: either he kills the animal – in which case he also kills Christ – or he does not, and professes his faith in Christ. Or, in the words of Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Hubertus masses, which are co-organised and attended primarily by recreational hunters, are incompatible with Christian ethics, compassion or reverence for life. Recreational hunters disfigure and desecrate entire churches, as for example here in Göschenen.

Hubertus Masses often mark the start of particularly cruel driven and special hunts, in which even senile recreational hunters trudge cruelly through the forests and, with their hunting dogs, chase, injure and kill countless wild animals.

The IG Wild beim Wild therefore appeals to church representatives to distance themselves in future from these violence-glorifying and sectarian Masses. Recreational hunters do not act in harmony with nature, but against it!

Nowhere is it written that Jesus Christ, whom both denominations revere as the Son of God, ever hunted animals. That would also be highly absurd, because God's Fifth Commandment reads "Thou shalt not kill". Yet every form of recreational hunting involves killing. Anyone who is hostile towards God's creatures cannot be very friendly towards God either.

Believers are shamelessly deceived by militant recreational hunters, and the church is misused for self-serving ends. On the Hunting a very different tune is then played.

As a hunting-horn player, one engages in public relations work, especially at the Hubertus Mass. "We are, so to speak, the mouthpiece of hunting, the means of communication between the hunting community and the public," explains recreational hunter Buri-Frank.

Unlike at a wedding or a baptism, recreational hunters, incidentally, instruct the service leader in their house that no photos, films etc. may be taken during the celebration of their lack of culture. Hunting is always also a form of war.

True Christianity is a religion of ethics, which stands for compassion, reverence for life and love of one's neighbour. Practising Christians concern themselves with the question of how these core values can be implemented globally, and, staying close to the Bible and on a sound theological footing, formulate liveable ethical guidelines for the peaceful coexistence of humans, nature and animals. Animals are "our brothers and sisters“, our neighbours. Every use of them – whether for food production, clothing, entertainment or animal testing – and every degradation to the status of a commodity contradicts a peaceful, preserving and life-respecting attitude.

Open letter to the parish congregations

The word sect (from the Latin secta ‘party’, ‘doctrine’, ‘school of thought’) is defined, among other things, as follows: a small community, such as recreational hunters, often with a hierarchical structure, whose views are mostly very radical and aberrant and contradict the ethical fundamental values of society.

The latter can be seen, for example, in the recreational hunters' notion of ‘fair chase’ (Waidgerechtigkeit), which stands in diametric opposition to the animal welfare laws of many countries, or in the prohibited depictions of violence against tormented wild animals in churches during the so-called Hubertus Masses.

On depictions of violence, the Swiss Criminal Code states the following in Art. 135 (similar provisions exist in Germany):

… a custodial sentence of up to one year or a monetary penalty shall be imposed on anyone who produces or displays objects or performances under paragraph 1 insofar as they depict acts of violence against humans or animals …

Saint Hubertus (Eustace) serves as a fig leaf and patron saint for the wicked practice of hunting. Recreational hunters deliberately refuse to follow the sublime teachings of Hubertus.

Recently, a court in Bellinzona held that practically everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless is promoted by the association JagdSchweiz. This association JagdSchweiz primarily cultivates disrespect and a culture of violence – precisely the opposite of what a civilised person in our society should strive for.

Because of these recreational hunters, wild animals suffer. Furthermore, they use violence or other means suited to intimidation (scaremongering, propaganda lies, hunters' tall tales, etc.) in order to influence politics, the media, public administration, the judiciary or business.

We are convinced that no church wants to be lumped together with such a group. So in future, please refrain from holding Hubertus Masses.

An end to violence and animal cruelty!

If you too would like to support the cause, join us, IG Wild beim Wild. We will support you so that your struggle is heard.