Everyday citizens are joining the Church of Satan en masse in Chile, petitioning the government to legally recognize it as a religious association in the traditionally Catholic country.
The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile consists of 100 members - including cops, firemen, lawyers, psychologists and publicists - who seek to challenge the moral norms, dogmas and religious impositions of the country.
Applicants have to go through a process that includes filling out a form and showing proof of not having a criminal record. They are grilled by a special commission and have to undergo an evaluation conducted by a psychologist.
Once allowed in, members can adopt a new name - normally that of a demon or fallen angel - with which they will be identified inside the Temple and among other members.
Azazel founder of the The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile, participates in a Celtic pagan celebration in Santiago, the South American nations capital, on October 31
Over 100 people have joined The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile and more than 400 have expressed interest since July, when it asked the Chilean government to recognize it as a religious association
They meet at a building in downtown Santiago, the South American nations capital, where they sip on their favorite wine and the smell of tobacco and incense fill the room. Black candles burn on top of an altar decorated with chalices and knives.
Although devotees accept the Satanist label, they dont honor or believe in Satan. Instead, they focus more on rationality, individualism, pleasure and the mundane life. They praise humankind over gods.
You are the owner of your present and future, there is no God that makes decisions for you, said Haborym, a spokesperson for the group.
To members, the figure of Satan is purely symbolic and their rituals are performed to bring out the emotions and leave the intellect aside.
Chiles Temple of Satan was founded in 2012, and more than 400 people have applied for membership over the last couple of weeks, Haborym said.
Interest grew in late July after the group approached the Ministry of Justice and requested that it be legally recognized as a religious association.
The petition comes five years after the Satanic Temple of the United States raised fears after it was designated as a church.
Members of The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile walk through the General Cemetery in Santiago, the capital of Chile, after taking part in a Satanist ceremony in September
A member of The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile reads from The Bible of the Adversary by Michael Ford, during a ceremony at the General Cemetery on September 14
Haborym, spokesman for The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile, said that they oppose animal abuse and dont accept people with criminal records
The groups request for recognition has received mixed reviews from scholars and the faithful in a conservative country that counts half of it 18 million residents as Catholics and that in recent years has been rocked by sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic church.
These types of organizations now feel that they have greater support to challenge what was virtually impossible before, said Luis Bahamondes, a professor at the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Chile.
And thats because, until very recently, the Catholic Church enjoyed an unprecedented power. It had an opinion on everything: politics, economics, geopolitics, sexuality and education.
Hollywood movies like Rosemary´s Baby and TV series such as True Detective helped to portray the idea of Satanists as linked to sacrifice, evil, pain and death. But modern groups like Chiles Temple of Satan are strongly against animal abuse, prohibit the affiliation of people with criminal records, see pleasures as a delight rather than a sin, and do not express their opinions unless asked.
We dont want people killing in the name of Satan, said Haborym.
The history of Satanism is well known (and) it has often been the cause of tragedies, the leaders of several churches in Chile, including the Catholic, Anglican, Jewish and Evangelical, said in a joint statement.
Following the steps of the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey, modern Satanists praise skepticism and logic over celestial or supernatural beings. Its followers are free to formulate their own beliefs, rites and spiritual practices.
Many self-described Satanists and Luciferians are atheists, while others are witches or believe in the power of magic.
We do accept that there are certain bases, both academic and esoteric, that give meaning to our existence and reality, said Azazel, who quit Judaism four years ago and, one year later, founded the Temple of Satan of Chile.
His words resonate in the darkness of the chamber and are interspersed with chants, clapping, mantras and readings of passages from the Satanic Bible and the Bible of the Adversary, the main guidelines of the group.
Members of The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile, drink wine at the start of a monthly ceremony in Santiago
Just like Azazel, others have turned to the Temple of Satan out of disappointment with traditional religions. The new congregants include not only occultists and esotericists, but also Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Evangelicals.
In Satanism there are no solutions or absolute truths. You are your own god and you create your own reality, said Kali Ma, a dentistry student who was born and raised in a Jehovas Witness family. If we compare both, Jehovas Witnesses are the real sect, she said.
They dont let you do certain things, they tell you how to dress, what to do, how to behave, whether or not to grow a beard.
Néstor da Costa, an expert in secularism and religion at the Catholic University of Uruguay, said the influx of people seeking answers through different perspectives might be linked to the search for less dogmatic approaches.
It may be a readjustment of the religious side of people who leave Catholicism but continue to believe in something, he said.
It is unclear if the Chilean government will legally recognize the Temple of Satan as a legitimate religious association, but its very existence has already helped to spark a discussion that until recently was unthinkable in this conservative society.
Demanding recognition is the ultimate expression of everything praised by Satanic aesthetics: the rebellion against the status quo and the breakup with deep-rooted traditions.
We comply with everything that is requested of us as a religious entity, said Haborym. So there would be no reason to reject us beyond the fact that wre a controversial figure.