As the topics of invocations have been an ongoing debate for the Borough, the assembly voted to have invocations be provided by volunteer chaplains, or the assembly president. This policy is set to begin January 1st, 2023.
Many individuals and groups have protested invocations in the past, and this time was not any different.
In response to Iris Fontana, a member of the Satanic Temple, providing the last invocation of the year, a group of ‘faithful Catholics’ were attempting to oppose the Satanic prayer at the meeting.
According to an article from the Alaska Watchman, an organized group of Catholic met outside of the borough assembly chambers while holding signage, praying the Rosary, and other sacramentals to oppose the invocation.
Prayer organizer Toby Burke claimed that calling out to Satan during a Borough meeting should be ‘publicly denounced.’
“The Satanic invocation – mockery of a devout Christian prayer of supplication and God Himself – must not go unopposed,” wrote Burke.
However, as Fontana began to speak her invocation into the microphone, the room was quiet, and allowed her to ask Satan to support everyone at this meeting one final time.
“Let us stand now unbound and unfettered by arcane doctrines born of fearful minds and darkened times. Let us embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat of the Tree of Knowledge and dissipate our blissful and comforting delusions of old. Let us demand that individuals be judged for their concrete actions, not their fealty to arbitrary social norms. And illustrate categorizations. Let us reason our solutions with agnosticism in all things, holding fast to that which is demonstratively true. Let us stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority that threatens the personal sovereignty of one or all that which will not bend. Must break, and that which can be destroyed by truth should never be spared its demise, and has done. Hail Satan,” said Fontana.
After her invocation, the meeting proceeded as usual. It was only towards the end, during public comments that other individuals began to share their opinions on the invocation process.
“The only proper way to get rid of the proselytizing that and preaching that you so discourage, is to just drop the invocation, like every other municipality has or in the United States,” said Fletcher.
Fletcher warns the Borough that he is ‘deadly serious’ about defending his First Amendment rights, and will be listening very intently to who the selected Chaplins are, and what their messages say.
“I’ll be listening very closely to the chaplains that are We will be giving the invocation from now on, and if I happen to hear them invoke any specific deity while failing to acknowledge the true creator of the universe great flying spaghetti monster, I’ll be suing,” said Fletcher.
Afterwards, Dr. Keith Hamilton provided one final prayer to the members of the assembly to wish them peace and prosperity.
“We pray together in the name of Jesus, whose birthday makes all the difference in our lives. Amen.”
The next borough assembly meeting is scheduled for January 2nd, 2024. At this meeting, the new innovation policy will officially take place, and be provided strictly by either volunteer chaplains, or the assembly president.