Satanists to give invocation at Scottsdale City Council meeting

Satanists will be allowed to give the invocation at a Scottsdale City Council meeting in April.

Last week, the Phoenix City Council voted to replace a longstanding tradition of prayer before meetings with a moment of silence, preventing a scheduled prayer by a group with "Satan" in its name and averting a lawsuit.

Satanists Stu De Haan and Michelle Shortt were scheduled to deliver the invocation at a Scottsdale meeting on April 5, but they have had to reschedule. A new date has not been set.

The pair also have approval to deliver an invocation at a council meeting in Sahuarita, Arizona which is south of Tucson.

The moment of silence was offered as an alternate motion to a measure that would have allowed the mayor and councilors to take turns in selecting who gives the invocation. That measure would not have blocked The Satanic Temple's prayer scheduled for Feb. 17, city attorney Brad Holm said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.