The country-wide exorcism, known as “Exorcismo Magno,” was prompted by the Church’s belief that Satan is behind the drug cartels, violence, and high rate of abortions happening throughout Mexico.
Their main concern seemed to be abortion, as over 100,000 abortions have been performed in Mexico City since their legalization in 2007.
“When a country—a Christian country—decriminalizes abortion, it is a tragedy and a very grave sin,” Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez explained.
The ceremony, which took place on May 20, was lead by Cardinal Íñiguez, the archbishop emeritus of Guadalajara, accompanied by Archbishop Jesús Carlos Cabrero of San Luis Potosí, Spanish demonologist and exorcist Father José Antonio Fortea — author of "El Exorcismo Magno" — among other Church leaders. It was the first rite of its kind performed anywhere in the world.
“Undoubtedly the abortion, Satanism, corruption, the cult of ‘holy’ death and the legalization of sexual aberrations have caused great satanic infestation throughout Mexico,” Father Fortea told Breitbart.com.
“This rite of exorcism, beautiful and liturgical, had never before taken place in any part of the world. Although it had taken place in a private manner as when Saint Francis (exorcised) the Italian city of Arezzo,” the renowned exorcist explained to Patheos.com.
The exorcism was conducted without the public’s knowledge to avoid misguided interpretations of the ritual the high ranking church members were performing, according to Archbishop Cabero. The Church was concerned about the public having a “morbid curiosity” about what was taking place.
“It would be a big mistake to think that by performing a full scale exorcism of the country everything would automatically change right away,” Father Fortea said. “When the exorcists of a country drive out its demons, it has to be done in faith. You’re not going to see anything, feel anything, there’s not going to be any extraordinary phenomenon. We have to have faith that God conferred on the apostles a power, and that we can use this power,” he added.
Father Fortea hopes that these mass acts of spiritual warfare can happen anytime many exorcists are in one county at the same time. He also noted that a bishop can authorize one to happen every year, to get those pesky demons left over from this first one.
“The bishop is the shepherd and he can use the power he has received to drive away the invisible wolves from the sheep, since Satan is like a roaring lion prowling around looking for someone to devour, and the shepherds can drive away the predator from the victim,” he said.
