A priest destroyed a number of pumpkins carved by children because he was unhappy at having “satanic symbols” on sacred ground.
Local kids had cut up the vegetables as part of Halloween festivities held in the village of Kurdejov in the Czech Republic. However when Father Jaromir Smejkal saw them near his church he went on the rampage and stomped on the lot over two days. Several of the young children were said to have been left in tears as a result of his actions, which he later apologised for in an open letter which was published on the village Facebook page.
(Facebook)The apology read: "There was a collision of two worlds, religious and worldview. When I left the parsonage, on Sunday evening, I saw placed in front of our sacred territory numerous symbols of the holiday "Halloween", which was born in the paganized contemporary world . I acted according to my faith and duty to be a father and protector of entrusted children and removed the symbols. It wasn't until the next day I learned it was a municipal event and children's creations.
“If I had known this, despite my duty to act decisively and radically against evil, I would have considered the fact I am also touching the feelings of my neighbours, especially children, and I would have adjusted the outward manifestation of my action accordingly. I don't enjoy hurting anyone, especially children, and for that I apologise.
"But try to think my duty as an authority and a priest is to protect children and families from hidden spiritual evil, even if they may not be aware of the damage they are doing to themselves by their actions, and therefore are even more at risk. I also convey we are all just humans who make mistakes and fallible and for lack of information and insight into the reality of which we are a part, our reaction can provoke displeasure and hurt in another.”
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Earlier this month experts and doctors warned people not to eat stale, old pumpkin decorations come the end of the spooky season. Any pumpkin you do want to use for food should be kept in the fridge or at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and shouldn't be kept too long. Kimberly Baker, a food systems and safety program team director at Clemson University, said: “Examine and smell it before you eat it, as you can usually smell spoilage on ingredients, pumpkins are a low-acid vegetable, so once they are cut and set at room temperature, pathogens that may be present will grow rapidly on the flesh.
“The longer the pumpkin is at room temperature, the more pathogens that grow and can make someone sick if they were to eat the pumpkin. Especially if it was sitting outside for any period of time, it's still warm enough for tiny bugs and little critters to be using your pumpkin for food, laying eggs, and using the bathroom. You definitely don't want to eat that.”
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