Off with his head!

by Feòrag

Philippines: Someone is chopping the heads and hands off religious statues in the churches of Negros Occidental, and for once, Satanists aren't the main suspects - they're third. Even hacked off bits of statues have value in the antiques trade, and priests suspect that increasing poverty means that people do not respect the statues as much as they did. But there are also a mystical explanation:

The thefts of church relics and images bolstered speculations that they are being used as amulets.

[Bishop Vicente] Navarra, however, insisted these objects do not have magic powers and their purpose is only to arouse devotion and increase the faith of the people.

And where would a story like this be without Satanists, even if they are not named as such?

Asked if the series of robberies on religious images may have been perpetrated by members of a religious cult, [Father Abenir] Pineda said he believes that it was done by a syndicate.

Negrense psychic Willy Tortosa, also a councilor of Cauayan town, claimed that the theft of the hands and heads of statues signal bad omen.

Tortosa said, People on the dark side usually hold rituals in months from July to September, in order to have access to, or to communicate with the evil side of the world.

He added that the collective prayers of devotees to the patron saints may provide more strength to the power seeker.

3rd 'beheading' of religious images alerts Negros priests - ABS-CBN News, 21st September 2004.