Temple of Satan gains ground in Chile as faith in traditional religions wanes 

FILE - A woman holds copies of "The Satanic Bible" by Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey and "The Bible of the Adversary" by Michael Ford, before the start of a ceremony at the General Cemetery in Santiago, Chile, Sept. 14, 2024. FILE - The founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey, is seen at home in San Francisco, 1983.

It's Friday night in Santiago, and 15 people gather around a table, sharing a bottle of wine as the smell of tobacco and incense fill the air. Black candles burn on top of an altar decorated with chalices and knives. The members of the Temple of Satan are about to start a ritual.