Church of England vanquishes Satan: References to Devil removed from services to make them ‘accessible’

The Book of Revelation speaks of the Devil being vanquished and cast into a pit of fire and brimstone at the end of the world.

Yesterday, however, the Church of England consigned Satan to a decidedly less dramatic fate – being quietly designated as an optional extra.

Instead of requiring an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil, the move was approved with a polite show of hands at the General Synod, the Church’s decision-making body, which has been meeting in Westminster.

Members voted to approve an alternative baptism liturgy with all references to the Devil removed, as part of a drive to make services “accessible” to those unused to attending church.


Following a consultation process, a committee of liturgical experts ruled that the inclusion of Satan as “personified evil” was “unhelpful” as it was likely to be “misunderstood” by young people.

The word “fight” has also been removed from the liturgy to give the services a more pacifist tone.

An earlier draft abandoned references to sin, but it was reinstated after complaints from churchgoers who said the new wording was “bland,” “dumbed down” and “nothing short of dire.”

Those who wish to retain references to violent combat against the Prince of Darkness will still be able to opt for the baptism liturgy in the Church of England’s main service book, Common Worship, in which those being baptized, or in most cases their parents and godparents, are urged to “fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the Devil.”

Despite the subject matter, there was little fury in the tone of the debate, which approved the new texts without dissent.

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