What is the Catholic Perspective on Bohemian Grove?

Brief Overview

• Bohemian Grove is an exclusive, secretive retreat in California for powerful men, raising concerns due to its elitist nature.
• The central event, the “Cremation of Care,” is a theatrical ritual involving a mock sacrifice before a large owl statue.
• From a Catholic viewpoint, the ceremony’s symbolism and actions appear to resemble pagan or occult practices.
• Catholic teaching strongly condemns secret societies that require oaths and operate outside Church and public accountability.
• The First Commandment forbids idolatry and superstition, which are relevant concerns regarding the Grove’s rituals (CCC 2110-2113).
• Participation by Catholics in such events can create scandal and conflicts with the moral obligation to live the faith transparently in the world.

The Nature of Bohemian Grove

Bohemian Grove is a private 2,700-acre campground located in Monte Rio, California, and belongs to a San Francisco-based gentlemen’s club known as the Bohemian Club. Since 1878, the club has hosted a two-week encampment in July, attracting some of the most powerful and influential men in the United States and around the world. Members and their guests include high-ranking politicians, corporate executives, financiers, and media proprietors. The club’s motto, “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here,” signifies that business and outside concerns are to be left behind, though this claim meets with skepticism given the elite status of its attendees. The intense secrecy surrounding the gatherings has fueled significant public curiosity and controversy for many decades. While defenders of the Grove describe it as a harmless retreat for camaraderie and artistic expression, the nature of its rituals and the privacy of its proceedings raise serious questions, particularly when examined from the principles of Catholic faith and morals. The gathering of powerful individuals in a setting intentionally removed from public scrutiny creates an environment where accountability is limited, a situation that Catholic social teaching consistently views with caution.

The history of the Bohemian Club began in 1872 with a focus on journalists, artists, and musicians, but it quickly evolved to include businessmen and political figures who became its primary patrons. This shift altered the club’s character from a bohemian fellowship to an enclave of the power elite. The annual retreat includes both leisure activities and more structured events, including theatrical performances and lakeside talks, where influential figures discuss significant political and business matters. The planning for the Manhattan Project reportedly took place at the Grove in 1942, illustrating the serious nature of the discussions that occur there. For a Catholic, the central issue is not merely the association of powerful men, but rather the moral and spiritual environment in which they associate. The combination of extreme secrecy, an exclusively male and elite membership, and quasi-religious ceremonies presents a framework that stands in contrast to the Catholic call for a transparent and integrated life of faith, where one’s actions in private and public remain consistent with the Gospel. The activities reported at the Grove warrant careful moral and theological consideration.

Secrecy, Elitism, and Catholic Social Teaching

The profound secrecy of Bohemian Grove stands as one of its most defining and troubling characteristics from a Catholic perspective. The Church has historically been wary of secret societies, not because of a desire to control every aspect of its members’ lives, but because secrecy can shield activities and ideologies that contradict faith and morals. When influential leaders make decisions or form pacts away from public view, they undermine the principle of the common good. Catholic social teaching emphasizes transparency and accountability as essential components of a just society. Secret meetings of the world’s elite create a two-tiered system of influence, where ordinary citizens are excluded from the conversations that shape their lives. This dynamic contradicts the Catholic vision of a society where political and economic power is exercised in service to all, especially the poor and vulnerable. The very structure of such an exclusive and hidden gathering fosters an environment of elitism that can lead to detachment from the realities faced by the broader community.

Furthermore, the elitism inherent in the Bohemian Club’s membership contradicts the Christian understanding of universal human dignity and the solidarity that should bind all people. The Gospel calls believers to break down walls of division, not to construct exclusive enclaves based on wealth and power. While the Church does not condemn private associations outright, it does challenge those that foster a spirit of exclusion and whose activities are hidden from legitimate scrutiny. The idea that the world’s problems can be managed by a select few in a secluded forest setting is a form of Gnosticism, a belief in special hidden knowledge available only to an enlightened elite. This stands in direct opposition to the public revelation of Jesus Christ and the universal call to holiness and participation in social life. A Catholic’s involvement in such a society presents a conflict with the baptismal call to be salt and light in the world, operating openly and honestly in all affairs.

Analyzing the “Cremation of Care” Ceremony

The most widely discussed and controversial event at Bohemian Grove is the annual “Cremation of Care” ceremony. This elaborate theatrical production takes place on the first night of the encampment before a 40-foot concrete owl statue. The ritual involves robed figures, torches, music, and pyrotechnics, culminating in the burning of a human effigy named “Dull Care.” This effigy, representing the burdens and worries of the outside world, is brought by ferry across a lake to the base of the owl shrine and set ablaze. The club maintains that this is merely a symbolic and artistic performance meant to set a tone of relaxation for the retreat, allowing members to shed their worldly concerns. It is described as an allegorical banishing of worries to ensure the success of the two-week gathering. However, the external actions and symbols used in the ceremony carry significant weight and are open to much more serious interpretations.

From a Catholic theological perspective, ritual actions are never neutral; they shape the spiritual disposition of the participants and express a particular worldview. The “Cremation of Care” utilizes the language and form of a religious rite. It features priests, a procession, an altar-like shrine, and a mock sacrifice. While the stated intention may be secular, the performance emulates sacred worship. Burning an effigy in a ritual context is a powerful act with historical roots in pagan and occult practices. The symbolic destruction of “care” could also be interpreted as the destruction of conscience or moral concern, which is deeply problematic. For a Catholic, participating in a mock ritual that borrows from religious ceremony but is directed toward a secular and potentially pagan end is spiritually dangerous. It trivializes authentic worship and can create a disposition of irreverence toward sacred things.

Occult Symbolism and Ritual Concerns

The central icon of the “Cremation of Care” is the massive owl statue, which serves as the backdrop for the entire ceremony. The club states the owl symbolizes wisdom. However, the owl has a complex and often dark history in religious symbolism. In many ancient cultures, including Egyptian and Roman, the owl was associated with death, sorcery, and darkness. The Bible itself lists the owl as an unclean bird (Leviticus 11:16-18). In various forms of occultism and paganism, the owl is linked to nocturnal spirits and is sometimes seen as a messenger from the underworld or a symbol of supernatural knowledge. Some interpretations have connected the Bohemian Grove owl to pagan deities such as Molech, to whom child sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament, or the Mesopotamian demoness Lilith. Regardless of the specific deity, the use of a large idol as the focal point of a fiery ritual is alarming from a Christian standpoint.

The ritual itself, involving chanting, hooded robes, and the burning of an effigy, strongly evokes the atmosphere of an occult ceremony. While participants may view it as harmless theater, the external forms are nearly indistinguishable from rites practiced in various non-Christian and anti-Christian traditions. The Catholic Church teaches that engaging in practices of magic or sorcery, which attempt to harness occult powers, is gravely contrary to the virtue of religion (CCC 2117). Even if not intended as a genuine occult rite, the simulation of one is deeply problematic. It treats spiritually significant actions as a form of entertainment, which can dull one’s conscience and sense of the sacred. The very ambiguity of the ceremony is a source of concern, as it can open participants, perhaps unknowingly, to spiritual influences that are not of God. The entire performance raises serious questions about what is truly being venerated in the heart of the Grove.

Catholic Teaching on Secret Societies

The Catholic Church has a long and consistent history of condemning secret societies, most notably Freemasonry. This condemnation is not based on a single aspect but on a combination of factors that are incompatible with the Catholic faith. The Church identifies several key problems with such organizations: they demand oaths of secrecy that can conflict with a member’s obligations to God and legitimate authority; they promote a form of religious indifferentism or naturalism that treats all beliefs as equally valid; and their rituals can constitute a form of worship that is separate from, and sometimes contrary to, Christian faith. While the Bohemian Club is not identical to Freemasonry, it shares characteristics that fall under the Church’s general prohibition. The demand for absolute secrecy about its proceedings and the use of quasi-religious rituals place it in a category of societies that are dangerous to the faith of a Catholic.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has clarified that the principles of any society irreconcilable with the Church’s doctrine make membership forbidden for Catholics. This applies even if the society does not actively conspire against the Church. The central issue is one of divided loyalty. A Catholic’s primary allegiance is to Jesus Christ and His Church; secret oaths and hidden rituals create a parallel system of allegiance that can compromise one’s faith. As Matthew 6:24 states, “No one can serve two masters.” By participating in the private, ritualistic life of a secret society, a Catholic risks adopting a mindset and practices that are not aligned with the Gospel. The Church’s position is pastoral; it seeks to protect the faithful from spiritual harm and to ensure that their lives are lived with the integrity that comes from an undivided commitment to Christ.

The First Commandment and Idolatrous Practices

The First Commandment, “I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3), is the foundation of Catholic moral life. It forbids not only the worship of false pagan gods but also any action that gives to a creature the reverence and honor due to God alone. This is the sin of idolatry. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that idolatry “consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons, power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc.” (CCC 2113). The “Cremation of Care” ceremony, with its focus on a 40-foot owl statue as the centerpiece of a solemn ritual, comes dangerously close to this definition. The performance of a mock sacrifice before this image, accompanied by priests and incantations, constitutes a grave dishonor to the true God.

The Commandment also prohibits superstition, which is a deviation of religious feeling and practice (CCC 2111). Attributing a kind of magical importance or efficacy to a ritual performance apart from the interior disposition of authentic faith falls into superstition. The “Cremation of Care” appears to be an exercise in exactly this sort of superstitious practice; a belief that an external ritual can banish the “demon” of care and free the participants for their retreat. Whether taken seriously or as a theatrical game, it is a practice that misuses and distorts the innate human sense of religion. For a Catholic, to participate even in a simulation of such worship is to violate the honor owed to God. It treats the forms of worship as empty and interchangeable, thereby undermining the unique and absolute Lordship of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Prudence, Scandal, and the Role of the Laity

For a Catholic, especially one in a position of public influence, the virtue of prudence is essential in discerning which associations are appropriate. Prudence requires avoiding situations that could lead oneself or others into sin. Given the secretive nature and quasi-pagan rituals of Bohemian Grove, it is difficult to see how a Catholic could prudently justify participation. The environment itself is a near occasion of sin, at the very least against the First Commandment through participation in superstitious or idolatrous-seeming rituals. Even if a member personally refrains from taking the rituals seriously, their presence lends legitimacy to the proceedings and can cause scandal to others. The Catechism defines scandal as an attitude or behavior that leads another to do evil (CCC 2284). When a known Catholic participates in a secret society with occult-like ceremonies, it can create confusion among the faithful and give the impression that such activities are compatible with the Catholic faith.

This is particularly relevant for the laity, whose mission is to be a leaven in the world and to sanctify secular realities from within. This mission requires transparency, not secrecy. The role of a Catholic in public life is not to conform to the world’s standards of power and influence but to transform them with the light of the Gospel. Retreating into a hidden enclave with the global elite to engage in bizarre rituals is the antithesis of this mission. It suggests a life lived in two separate compartments: a public Christian life and a private one governed by different principles. The Catholic faith, however, demands an integrated life, where one’s faith informs every aspect of one’s conduct, both private and public. Therefore, membership in an organization like the Bohemian Club is irreconcilable with the calling of the Catholic laity to be unambiguous witnesses to Christ in the world.