A Satanic temple is under construction in Veracruz, a project that is unsurprisingly opposed by the Catholic Church.

The place of worship is the brainchild of Enrique Marthen Berdon, the brujo mayor, or grand warlock, of Catemaco, a city in the south of the Gulf coast state. Funded by donations from Satanists, the temple is being built in that city, located about 170 kilometers south of the port city of Veracruz.

Berdon, who is the founder of the “El Ahijado” (The Godson) spiritual center, expects his 400-square-meter satanic temple to be finished by March 2023. According to the brujo mayor, water from seven rivers, seven waterfalls and seven lagoons will constitute a water feature inside the temple.

The bishop of Veracruz said the Catholic Church is opposed to the project. Carlos Briseño Arch also said the church is against Satanism, charging that it only promotes death and destruction on Earth.

“Of course we’re against everything that is destruction and Satan is the prince of destruction, and he seeks to prevent us from leading a happy life on Earth,” he said. “… [Satanism] is not a true religion,” Briseño added.

The bishop said Satanic temples have been built in other parts of Mexico, but never before has one been constructed and promoted in such an open way.

“There are in fact temples of this kind, it’s not the first in Mexico. There are a lot of … things of this style, only they are always built in a hidden … [way], but unfortunately this [phenomenon] exists,” Briseño said.

With reports from Diario de Xalapa