Originally published at The Crux
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MANILA, Philippines – Trumpets blared, the smoke of incense billowed, and three men in white vestments marched around the Senate while sprinkling it with holy water and exorcised salt.
Filipino activist priest Father Robert Reyes, 71, led two other priests in exorcising the Philippine Senate on Saturday, two days before senators began the historic impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The clergy conducted this minor exorcism after Reyes said, in a press conference three weeks ago, that “the Senate is full of demons” and that “it is possessed.”
A minor exorcism involves “prayers used to break the influence of evil and sin in a person’s life,” explained the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Even a simple house blessing is considered an exorcism, Reyes said.
A major exorcism, which is commonly portrayed in the movies, “is employed only when there is a case of genuine demonic possession, namely, when it is determined that the presence of the devil is in the body of the possessed and the devil is able to exercise dominion over that body,” according to the USCCB.
Explaining the ancient weapons of exorcism, Reyes said the fragrance of incense symbolizes prayers rising up to
