Mexican Archbishops Perform National Exorcism, Blame Satan for Marriage Equality

Catholic Archbishops and priests in Mexico have performed an exorcism of the nation to rid the country of a "great satanic infestation."

Church leaders cited abortion and same-sex marriage as proof Mexico has been taken over by demons, according to Christian Today.

The "Great Exorcism was performed May 20 by the Archbishop of San Luis Potosi, Carlos Cabrero, and Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez -- the former Archbishop of Guadalajara -- and well-known Spanish exorcist Father Jose Antonio Fortea, as well as several other priests from multiple dioceses, the website Alitea reported.

The ceremony at the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Luis Potosi -- which the archbishop said was not common but "a sacramental of the Church" -- was private and the participants would not say what it entailed.

In an interview with the conservative blog Breitbart, Father Fortea said the exorcism was necessary because "undoubtedly the abortion, Satanism, corruption, the cult of 'holy' death and the legalization of sexual aberrations have caused great satanic infestation throughout Mexico."

Mexican people need to understand "the seriousness of the situation that we live in Mexico, which has very deep roots, beyond human evil, which is the devil, who is closely connected with death and has been a murderer from the very beginning," according to Archbishop Cabrero.

The effort to stop marriage equality apparently didn't work. As The Advocate reported, Mexico's supreme court ruled on June 3 that denying same sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional.

While the Church is focused on the devil, Mexico has been plagued for decades by violence among rival drug cartels at a level that the U.S. State Department compared with terrorism. Corruption inside the government, military and police force have allowed the gangs to flourish.

More than 100,000 people are estimated to have died since the Mexican drug war began in 2006.