Sick Society

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A Catholic investigative group is asking the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey to shut down a Catholic university's radio station that broadcasts "satanic" and "deranged" music.

Lepanto Institute (LI) is requesting that Cdl. Joseph Tobin of Newark close Seton Hall University's (SHU's) WSOU radio station in South Orange, New Jersey for continuing to air anti-Christian music.

"If an archbishop won't stop openly satanic music that literally asks for demonic possession from being broadcast by a radio station under his authority, what other open and grave evils will he permit?" Michael Hichborn of Lepanto Institute told Church Militant.

"Cardinal Tobin has the authority and the obligation to shut this station down, which is why this petition is so important!" he added.

Addressing Tobin directly, LI invites others to sign the appeal that states: "As the archbishop of Newark and as the chair of diocesan Seton Hall University's Board of Trustees, you lead the group that directs the University's policies. You have the authority to put an immediate and permanent end to this diabolical broadcasting."

"There is no excuse for allowing a Church institution to broadcast material and post images and videos," Hichborn said, which include:

• Gratification from demonically driven murder and mutilation of women and children
• Genocidal material calling for sadistic execution techniques from the middle ages employed by Nordic pagans against Christians
• Material promoting suicide
• Album artwork depicting a sex act on a mutilated corpse; and
• Material promoting virtually every form of occult practice, including curses, spells, witchcraft, explicit calls to satanic worship, human sacrifice and even the black mass

So far, the school's response has been dismissive.

Pirate Radio's Response and Disclaimer

After LI published its report in August, WSOU, also known as "Pirate Radio," refused to address any details of LI's investigation.

A section of SHU's response reads, "WSOU educates and entertains through music, news, sports and public affairs; provides a hands-on learning experience for students; promotes a diverse and collaborative working environment; and encourages students and listeners to pursue a quest for lifelong learning sustained by Catholic values."

Reacting to SHU's response, Hichborn told Church Militant: "It's almost as if SHU just copied the PR playbooks of both the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services."

"Claim the report is false, ignore the specific charges, claim to adhere to strict guidelines and standards and point out all the good things the organization does. Lather, rinse, repeat," he explained.

SHU's response also states Pirate Radio "must meet strict FCC standards for content" and "even stricter University standards for content." The school claimed "[e]verything that airs on WSOU is 'clean,' meaning songs are edited to remove offensive lyrics."

A song that met the SHU's standards for content, "Hammer Smashed Face," includes the following lyrics:

Brutality now becomes my appetite
Violence is now a way of life
The sledge my tool to torture
As it pounds down on your forehead

Eyes bulging from their sockets
With every swing of my mallet
I smash your f*****g head in, until brains seep in
through the cracks, blood does leak
distorted beauty, catastrophe
Steaming slop, splattered all over me

"If the university considers the songs it broadcasts as 'clean,' then what on earth does it consider dirty?" Hichborn asked rhetorically.

After LI and Church Militant reported on WSOU's response, the radio station's website added the following disclaimer: "The programming heard on WSOU does not represent the opinions and beliefs of Seton Hall University or its employees and students. WSOU's music and talk programming is presented as entertainment and is not intended to promote any specific lifestyle, belief, political affiliation or other personal practice."

The disclaimer is a complete turnaround from SHU's initial response. But despite SHU's recent denial of any responsibility or support for its radio station, WSOU remains under the authority of Cdl. Joseph Tobin, who has yet to intervene.

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