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Exorcist priest leads Catholic faithful in ritual outside CCP
An exorcist priest led a ritual to ask for God’s forgiveness outside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where the controversial "Kulô" art exhibit was held. According to a report on the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the ritual or reparation rite on Sunday sought God's forgiveness for those who “dishonored the image of Christ." Despite the presence of exorcist Father Michelle Joe Zerrudo, the CBCP did not call it an exorcism, or the religious act of expelling demons from a person or place believed to be possessed. In the report, Father Zerrudo said the ritual of reparation was "an act of love for God to make up for the lack of love. This is not a political rally but simply a religious event."
One of the artworks included in the exhibit was artist Mideo Cruz's mixed-media "Poleteismo" which was criticized as "blasphemous" as it showed, among others, a crucifix draped with a pink, stretched-out condom, a Jesus image with a penis for a nose, and various other religious images placed alongside pictures of women modeling underwear. The CCP on August 9 closed down the main gallery where the art exhibit was on display. In a statement, the CCP said threats to persons and property compelled the management's to close down the gallery. 'Reparation' “Regardless of what has been done, we would like to tell the Lord that we would like to do reparation for whatever has been done against Him… this is a public manifestation," Zerrudo was quoted as saying. Before the reparation rite, Zerrudo led some 200 lay people in a Tridentine Latin Mass at the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in Pasay City, the CBCP said. After the Mass, they held a procession around the CCP, carrying religious images as they prayed.
