Texas Bishop Joseph Stickland Reacts To ‘Spectre’ Singer Sam Smith’s Satanic Grammy’s Performance: “The Depravity In Our Nation Is Reaching Devastating Levels”

John F. Trent |

Feb 13, 2023

Bishop Joseph Strickland via Pints With Aquinas YouTube

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of The Catholic Diocese of Tyler recently reacted to Sam Smith’s Satanic Grammy performance noting that it’s an example of the increasingly devastating levels of depravity in the United States.

Bishop Strickland took to Twitter where he wrote, “This atrocity should be denounced by every music artist in the nation. Instead there is a symphony of silence.”

“The depravity in our nation is reaching devastating levels. We must pray for God’s mercy,” he concluded.

This atrocity should be denounced by every music artist in the nation. Instead there is a symphony of silence. The depravity in our nation is reaching devastating levels. We must pray for God’s mercy. https://t.co/RrHPeFj3nf

— Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) February 7, 2023

Bishop Strickland wasn’t the only Catholic Bishop to discuss Smith’s Satanic performance. Bishop Michael Burbidge of The Catholic Diocese of Arlington discussed the performance during his weekly podcast, The Walk Humbly Podcast.

Bishop Burbidge stated, “I did not watch the Grammy Awards, but it has received a great deal of coverage. So I saw the clips, the highlights from the award ceremony itself. And as you noted many are saying accurately that it was a performance really of devil worship. And at one point they apparently mimicked the Sign of the Cross.”

Bishop Burbidge continued, “So this is very disturbing, disturbing. There’s been a growing trend over the years to see the devil as a figure of speech, almost like it’s an idea, but that’s not true.”

“This is reality. This is a reality that the Lord himself warned us about, and so mocking the devil or diminishing the belief in his reality is a common tactic of the evil one. The evil one wants us to think, ‘Oh this is not real.’ And in the meantime really creates great damage in the lives of our world and in our own lives, personally. He’s very real,” said The Most Reverend Burbidge.

“And he wants us to deny God, but he also knows that if we don’t believe in him, and we don’t take that seriously, if we don’t believe in the devil then we will not take his tactics seriously,” he pointed out. “So if you allow the enemy into your home you won’t be observant of what he is doing to you and your family.”

“And so that’s why it is so important to pray that prayer of St. Michael the Archangel in our homes,” he shared. “There’s a beautiful prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours once a week that the priests pray for the Church and he actually prays to God, ‘Please Lord, banish evil from this house.’ And I say that every night: banish evil. Because we’re frail humans and the devil knows where we’re the weakest. And if open the door or the window and he will enter.”

Bishop Burbidge went on, “So I think these kinds of displays like we saw in the entertainment world there should be a reminder for us to pray that we have to have the fortitude to recognize the work of the devil and rebuke him because the Lord’s power is stronger. We have power over temptation and evil.”

“And the devil has no power on his own. He actually requires our failure and sin to accomplish anything because we know that Christ has won the victory. So no temptation, no evil is stronger,” he said.

Bishop Burbidge then advised parents, “I think talking about the devil and talking about evil are hard lessons to teach your children, but I highly encourage our parents not to allow your children to watch these devil displays…significant things, dressing up as demons for Halloween. And certainly not to play with the tools of the occult such as those Ouija boards. Don’t take those things lightly. None of them should be taken lightly.

“And we should use this as an opportunity to teach our children and we certainly want to always as your pastors as your priests to always help you, to teach the triumph of good, but the wickedness of evil,” he concluded.