Susan Brinkman, Women of Grace, 9/24
A disturbing new R-rated “horror circus” that features men dressed as nuns who perform lewd acts, Satanic themed props, and scenes of simulated torture and death is gaining popularity in the U.S. and may be headed to a town near you.
Known as the Paranormal Cirque, the website brags about being a show “with breathtaking implications always poised between fun and the most uninhibited fear that will transport you to a dark world inhabited by creatures with incredible circus art abilities.”
The show features a variety of illusionists, acrobats, dancers, many sporting devil horns and masks, all performing under a glowing red tent. Some of the acts are so suggestive, and the performers dressed so scantily, that the show comes with a warning label. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to attend, those between the ages of 13-17 must be accompanied by an adult of at least 21 years of age. As the show’s website explains, these restrictions are due to the use of explicit language and material.
The creator and owner of the Paranormal Cirque, Manuel Rebecchi, who is the nephew of Moira Orfei, the world-renowned queen of the Italian circus, emigrated to the U.S. where he started a water circus in 2012. However, in Europe, it’s customary to have family circuses during the day and adult-themed acts in the evening, which led to the creation of the R-rated horror circus.
Steve Copeland, a comedian and host for the show, told the Post Register of Idaho Falls, that the circus is designed to “scare your pants off” and recommends spectators “bring a spare pair.”
Although local news outlets are presenting Paranormal Cirque as just another circus, the show is riddled with blasphemous depictions of Christianity.
According to Tradition, Faith, and Property (TFP), an organization of lay Catholic Americans concerned about the moral crisis in the U.S., there are four categories of grave offenses found in this circus.
“First of all, this circus is blasphemous. Men are dressed in the religious habits of nuns simulating immoral acts,” writesFrancis Slobodnik for TFP. “Secondly, this circus is full of Satanic influences and imagery. Spectators could see Satanic symbols like the pentagram in prominent display. Some performers wear devil horns. Third, the circus contains immoral content with scantily-clad women, obscene gestures and language and the simulation of sinful acts. Finally, this circus is macabre. There are scenes simulating torture and death in the show.”
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