Cardinal, exorcists have differing takes on ‘cleansing’ ritual performed on Mexican president

Among the various ceremonies at the inauguration of the first female Mexican president, Claudia Scheinbaum, in the capital city’s Constitution Plaza — commonly known as Zócalo — a group of Indigenous women performed a “sacred ceremony.” | Credit: Courtesy of Government of Mexico

A Mexican cardinal and three priests, two of them exorcists, have differing takes on the “cleansing” ritual that was performed during the inauguration of the country’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum, a candidate of the coalition Let’s Keep Making History — which consists of the political parties National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), Labor Party (PT), and Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) — was the winner of the June 2 presidential elections. She assumed office on Oct. 1.

Sheinbaum succeeds President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, founder of MORENA who in December 2018 participated in a similar ceremony at the beginning of his term, as head of the Mexican government.

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