Rite of reparation held outside CCP (Philippines Cultural Center)

CBCP News ^ | August 14, 2011

[NYer]

MANILA, August 14, 2011— An exorcist has led a ritual outside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Sunday to ask for God’s forgiveness for those who “dishonored the image of Christ.”

Fr. Michelle Joe Zerrudo of the Diocese of Cubao said the prayer was being offered to compensate for whatever has been done to God by those behind the controversial art exhibit at the CCP.

“This is an act of love for God to make up for the lack of love. This is not a political rally but simply a religions event,” Zerrudo said.

“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,” he said.

Before the reparation rite, the priest has led some 200 lay people in a Tridentine Latin Mass at the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in Pasay City.

After the liturgical activity, they held a procession, while praying and carrying several images and statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, to the nearby CCP and went around it twice.

The crowd included nuns, seminarians, and lay organizations.

Zerrudo is a known exorcist and a celebrant of the Cubao diocese daily Tridentine Latin Mass. [CBCPNews]

[NYer]

Father Michelle Joe Zerrudo celebrates a traditional Latin Mass on Easter Sunday afternoon at his Lord of Divine Mercy Parish in Cubao diocese, northeast of Manila.

God bless him!

[PreciousLiberty]

“Fr. Michelle Joe Zerrudo of the Diocese of Cubao said the prayer was being offered to compensate for whatever has been done to God by those behind the controversial art exhibit at the CCP.”

Of what exactly did this art exhibit consist?

At any rate, I’m sure some of our “art” here in the states could use the same treatment!

[SuziQ]

Would have been nice if the article had mentioned some specifics about the art in question.

[NYer]

Would have been nice if the article had mentioned some specifics about the art in question.

As freeper PreciousLiberty noted, we have sufficient evidence from the outrageous exhibits in this country to conclude that it must have been pretty foul. Apparently, the incident is not without controversy in the Phillipines. The following is from one news article:

As an effort to supposedly seek forgiveness from their Creator for what they deem as “blasphemous” art—particularly artist Mideo Cruz's “Poleteismo” installation which depicts several religious images with animals ears, phallic symbols and condoms—more than 200 members of religious and lay groups participated in a reparation mass held Aug. 14, reported “Unang Hirit” on Aug. 15.

A part of the homily by Jojo Zerrudo, Diocese of Cubao, was aired on the same morning show, where he asserted that proper respect should be given to the image of Christ.

"...you think an image of Christ is nothing different from the posters of celebrities? Jesus Christ is the son of the Living God, therefore, it is not right to dishonor his face,” said Zerrudo.

After the mass, the group launched a procession from Roxas Boulevard to CCP featuring relics of the Virgin Mary and the Black Nazarene, significant symbols of the Catholic faith, as reported on “TV Patrol” last Aug. 14.

Parishioners stressed their reasons for strongly protesting the exhibit.
More religious and lay groups condemn controversial CCP art installation

And then there is this columnists rabid take on how catholics handled the event ...

The Catholic Church in our country is so messed up that it cannot even stop its own followers from spewing fire and brimstone.
snip
What’s happening to the leaders of the Catholic faith? We would expect the Catholic clergy to exude an aura of holiness, calm and peace. We’d expect them to vibrate a certain loving kindness, the kind of spiritual energy that does not judge but seeks to understand and establish harmony. We can see these virtues and traits in the Catholic Focolare Movement that lives the gospel of love and interfaith harmony but we rarely see this in the CBCP and its rabid right-wing followers.

Our Church hierarchy and its followers claim to represent the nation’s 80 percent Catholics — presumably based on baptism numbers, which does not mean practice. Naturally, they lure grandstanding politicos to support them and when the issue happens to resonate in media, it becomes a formula for lynching.
How Catholic Talibans stormed the CCP

Catholic Talibans?! No doubt the images are available on the internet but I refuse to search for, much less post them to this thread. My prayers for the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

[AnAmericanMother]

You have to go hunting, but there's plenty of information.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/08/02/11/crucifix-penis-art-exhibit-riles-catholics

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/09/11/ccp-closes-blasphemous-art-exhibit

Some really stupid stuff, like gluing a wooden penis to the forehead of Christ Crucified, stretching condoms over statues of Christ and Mary, etc. etc. The usual disgusting and tired exhibitionism of artists who think that cheap and obscene blasphemy is "art".

Except the 'artists' miscalculated, thinking that a country that is still largely believing Christian and Catholic would react like the jaded and shell-shocked Christians in the U.S.

Apparently the curator got fired, Imelda Marcos and Aquina expressed extreme displeasure, criminal charges are being bruited about, and only a shrinking circle of 'intellectuals' are defending this stupidity.

[lastchance]

“We would expect the Catholic clergy to exude an aura of holiness, calm and peace. We’d expect them to vibrate a certain loving kindness, the kind of spiritual energy that does not judge but seeks to understand and establish harmony. We can see these virtues and traits in the Catholic Focolare Movement that lives the gospel of love and interfaith harmony but we rarely see this in the CBCP and its rabid right-wing followers”

Translation: We don’t know why they can’t be like our kind of Catholic. The kind that supports women priests, of the Diocese, abortion and gay rights. Who believe Jesus is just another way to the divine. Who don’t go on and on about Salvation and sin and repentence and God’s love. Who don’t natter on about the Gospel or Truth or the Cross. Catholics who wrap themselves in a rainbow flag instead of Our Lady’s mantle.

You know, the damned.

[Coleus]

Of what exactly did this art exhibit consist? >>>

I was thinking the same thing.. was there a previous thread about the immoral artwork posted before? What was the controversial artwork about?

[NYer]

See my post #5.

[Coleus]

thanks.... it reminds me of the sacrilege committed by andres serrano.