The announcement of Marilyn Manson's free concert at the 2025 San Luis Potosí National Fair (FENAPO) sparked a strong reaction from the Roman Catholic Church in San Luis Potosí. During a press conference on June 15th 2025, Archbishop Jorge Cavazos Arizpe of San Luis Potosi revealed to journalists that he had sent a formal letter to Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona asking him to cancel the upcoming August 10th concert of Marilyn Manson in the Mexican city with more than 800,000 residents, arguing that his artistic history violates the values that should be promoted at a family and cultural event. “I have sent a letter to the governor, asking that, for the good of society and not just Christians, we have seen issues in his history that concern us,” the prelate declared at the press conference. Cavazos asserted that his request not only responds to religious principles, but also to social concerns, especially for the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of those who attend the eve...
The announcement of Marilyn Manson's free concert at the 2025 San Luis Potosí National Fair (FENAPO) sparked a strong reaction from the Roman Catholic Church in San Luis Potosí.
During a press conference on June 15th 2025, Archbishop Jorge Cavazos Arizpe of San Luis Potosi revealed to journalists that he had sent a formal letter to Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona asking him to cancel the upcoming August 10th concert of Marilyn Manson in the Mexican city with more than 800,000 residents, arguing that his artistic history violates the values that should be promoted at a family and cultural event.
“I have sent a letter to the governor, asking that, for the good of society and not just Christians, we have seen issues in his history that concern us,” the prelate declared at the press conference. Cavazos asserted that his request not only responds to religious principles, but also to social concerns, especially for the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of those who attend the event.
“The government itself has raised the issue of banning narcocorridos.** How are we now going to allow someone to mock beliefs or faith? Because that is also a way of mocking a person,” the archbishop questioned.
The archbishop emphasized that the San Luis Potosí National Fair is dedicated to their patron saint, Saint Louis the King, and should remain a family-oriented and constructive celebration. “As a Church, united with Christ the Lord, we cannot foster any insinuation of evil. We must reject all such situations,” he added.
The Catholic Church's appeal generated mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting the request for ethical or cultural reasons, while others defending artistic freedom and criticize what they consider an attempt at censorship.
During a press conference on June 15th 2025, Archbishop Jorge Cavazos Arizpe of San Luis Potosi revealed to journalists that he had sent a formal letter to Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona asking him to cancel the upcoming August 10th concert of Marilyn Manson in the Mexican city with more than 800,000 residents, arguing that his artistic history violates the values that should be promoted at a family and cultural event.
“I have sent a letter to the governor, asking that, for the good of society and not just Christians, we have seen issues in his history that concern us,” the prelate declared at the press conference. Cavazos asserted that his request not only responds to religious principles, but also to social concerns, especially for the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of those who attend the event.
“The government itself has raised the issue of banning narcocorridos.** How are we now going to allow someone to mock beliefs or faith? Because that is also a way of mocking a person,” the archbishop questioned.
The archbishop emphasized that the San Luis Potosí National Fair is dedicated to their patron saint, Saint Louis the King, and should remain a family-oriented and constructive celebration. “As a Church, united with Christ the Lord, we cannot foster any insinuation of evil. We must reject all such situations,” he added.
The Catholic Church's appeal generated mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting the request for ethical or cultural reasons, while others defending artistic freedom and criticize what they consider an attempt at censorship.
😈🎤 ¡NO QUIERE A MARILYN MANSON! ARZOBISPO DE #SLP LO LLAMA “INSINUACIÓN DEL MAL” 🚫🙏
— ¡QUÉ POCA MADRE! 🇲🇽 (@QuePocaMadre_Mx) June 16, 2025
🔴 Durante una entrevista, el arzobispo de #SanLuisPotosí, Jorge Alberto Cavazos Arizpe, expresó su inconformidad con la presentación del cantante @marilynmanson en la @FenapoOficial, e… pic.twitter.com/e3pwi04Yho
Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona's response was swift. Through a social media post, without directly mentioning the archbishop or Marilyn Manson, he defended the state government's position regarding the controversy.
“We are very respectful of all musical tastes and genres, as well as of all religions. But we live in a secular state, and that must be respected. We love you very much, God bless you all,” the governor stated.
Governor Gallardo told the local newspaper El Universal de Potosí that the concert will happen: "We have supported religious tourism projects, the rehabilitation of churches, and we have worked hard on religious issues. However, we are no longer in the times of the Holy Inquisition; we must respect the thinking of all people equally."
Sixty-one-year-old journalist Rafael Aguilar has publicly criticized the archbishop for his hypocrisy. A resident of San Luis Potosi and an old-time rock fan, Aguilar defined Cavazos’s measure as a “hypocritical publicity stunt.”
“Mexico is a secular state. That’s a retrograde message the Church is sending, something from the past,” Aguilar told Crux, adding that it should reflect about its own problems, “including the scandals involving some priests.”
The most notorious case in the city involves the former priest Eduardo Cordova, accused of sexually abusing dozens of boys in seminars and Catholic schools over 30 years. Cordova is on the run and the Archdiocese of San Luis Potosí argues it doesn’t know his whereabouts.
“In other parts of the country as well, there are alarming denunciations. The Church has much to solve before attempting to control what happens in society,” Aguilar added.
He recalled that in 1989 British rock band Black Sabbath had a scheduled concert in San Luis Potosí, but an alliance between the Catholic Church and right-wing authorities made the event impossible.
“There were more than 20,000 tickets already sold and people from Guadalajara, Mexico City and other parts of the country were all here waiting for the concert,” he recalled.
The reasons for the suspension of the Black Sabbath concert have never been totally clear, but Aguilar said that the campaign orchestrated by the Church against the band was determinant.
“The Church was rather powerful in Mexico back then. But now it’s not anymore. It’s an institution in crisis,” he said.
Aguilar, who is Catholic, said that Manson “is not exactly a Satanic rockstar like other artists who came before him.”
“He’s a guy from the 1990s, he has a lighter stance. Moreover, it’s a one-day concert, it will not have any kind of ideological impact,” he added, saying he intends to attend the event.
“Mexico is a secular state. That’s a retrograde message the Church is sending, something from the past,” Aguilar told Crux, adding that it should reflect about its own problems, “including the scandals involving some priests.”
The most notorious case in the city involves the former priest Eduardo Cordova, accused of sexually abusing dozens of boys in seminars and Catholic schools over 30 years. Cordova is on the run and the Archdiocese of San Luis Potosí argues it doesn’t know his whereabouts.
“In other parts of the country as well, there are alarming denunciations. The Church has much to solve before attempting to control what happens in society,” Aguilar added.
He recalled that in 1989 British rock band Black Sabbath had a scheduled concert in San Luis Potosí, but an alliance between the Catholic Church and right-wing authorities made the event impossible.
“There were more than 20,000 tickets already sold and people from Guadalajara, Mexico City and other parts of the country were all here waiting for the concert,” he recalled.
The reasons for the suspension of the Black Sabbath concert have never been totally clear, but Aguilar said that the campaign orchestrated by the Church against the band was determinant.
“The Church was rather powerful in Mexico back then. But now it’s not anymore. It’s an institution in crisis,” he said.
Aguilar, who is Catholic, said that Manson “is not exactly a Satanic rockstar like other artists who came before him.”
“He’s a guy from the 1990s, he has a lighter stance. Moreover, it’s a one-day concert, it will not have any kind of ideological impact,” he added, saying he intends to attend the event.
According to one op-ed on this issue:
"Marilyn Manson has performed in several European cities, including Rome, without prompting rejection or intervention from the Catholic Church, neither during the pontificate of Benedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger) nor during the papacy of Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio). In February of 2025, Manson even gave a concert in Milan, without opposition from the Vatican or public protests from the Italian Curia.
Despite his transgressive aesthetic and the controversies that often accompany his career, the Roman authorities and the Catholic community allowed his show to take place without incident.
This demonstrates that in institutionally mature contexts, artistic freedom and religious beliefs can coexist without conflict.
In contrast, the Archbishop of San Luis Potosí, Jorge Alberto Cavazos Arizpe, who has publicly attempted to cancel Marilyn Manson, has drawn criticism for what some consider an attempt at moral censorship in a cultural and civil space open to a diverse audience.
Marilyn Manson has given concerts in the United States, Spain, Germany, France, England, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Chile, without any official vetoes from Roman Catholic bishops. He has performed in Mexico three times (1997, 2003, and 2007) without any significant protests or censorship from civil or ecclesiastical authorities.
The San Luis Potosí case has sparked a debate about the role of the Church in public events. While in other countries, respect for individual freedoms is prioritized, in San Luis Potosí, the archbishop appears to be seeking a cultural retreat, returning to positions reminiscent of obscurantism and ideological surveillance of art and expression.
Specialists and citizens have called for respect for the secular nature of the Mexican state, reminding everyone that artistic diversity, however provocative, has a place within a pluralistic society. As the Vatican demonstrates, not even the Pope has condemned Marilyn Manson, so it seems contradictory for a local archbishop to do so."
The spokesperson for the Archdiocese of San Luis Potosí spoke about Marilyn Manson's performance at this year's San Luis Potosí National Fair (FENAPO), noting that Archbishop Jorge Alberto Cavazos was very clear in "making a suggestion to rethink the atmosphere at the fair."
He clarified that Archbishop Cavazos' statements were made as a suggestion, not a demand, and that they were based on the intention to maintain the family atmosphere.
Regarding the possibility of Governor Ricardo Gallardo publicly reading the letter sent by the archbishop, he insisted that it is merely a request, like many others that continually reach the governor, and that the decision remains in his hands.
He clarified that Archbishop Cavazos' statements were made as a suggestion, not a demand, and that they were based on the intention to maintain the family atmosphere.
Regarding the possibility of Governor Ricardo Gallardo publicly reading the letter sent by the archbishop, he insisted that it is merely a request, like many others that continually reach the governor, and that the decision remains in his hands.
Notes:
* The San Luis Potosí National Fair, also known as FENAPO, is a major annual event held in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, typically in August. According to Fiesta Americana Travelty, it offers a wide range of attractions and activities including concerts, livestock shows, food exhibitions, and more. The fair also features a Teatro del Pueblo, which hosts various musical performances.
** A narcocorrido (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾkokoˈriðo], "narco-corrido" or drug ballad) is a subgenre of the Mexican corridos (a kind of narrative ballad) of Mexican music which includes lyrics that refer to particular events and include real dates and places. The lyrics tend to speak approvingly of illegal activities, mainly drug trafficking. Various companies, governmental agencies, and individuals have sought to ban narcocorridos. Representative Casio Carlos Narváez explained that radio executives did not want to make "people who break the laws of our country into heroes and examples." Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox also proposed banning narcocorridos. On the other hand, former Mexican foreign secretary Jorge Castaneda has argued that "corridos are attempts by Mexican society to come to terms with the world around them...You cannot blame narcocorridos for drug violence. Drug violence is to blame for narcocorridos."
* The San Luis Potosí National Fair, also known as FENAPO, is a major annual event held in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, typically in August. According to Fiesta Americana Travelty, it offers a wide range of attractions and activities including concerts, livestock shows, food exhibitions, and more. The fair also features a Teatro del Pueblo, which hosts various musical performances.
** A narcocorrido (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾkokoˈriðo], "narco-corrido" or drug ballad) is a subgenre of the Mexican corridos (a kind of narrative ballad) of Mexican music which includes lyrics that refer to particular events and include real dates and places. The lyrics tend to speak approvingly of illegal activities, mainly drug trafficking. Various companies, governmental agencies, and individuals have sought to ban narcocorridos. Representative Casio Carlos Narváez explained that radio executives did not want to make "people who break the laws of our country into heroes and examples." Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox also proposed banning narcocorridos. On the other hand, former Mexican foreign secretary Jorge Castaneda has argued that "corridos are attempts by Mexican society to come to terms with the world around them...You cannot blame narcocorridos for drug violence. Drug violence is to blame for narcocorridos."