Hungarians fast and pray to ward off Marilyn Manson

Singer Marilyn Manson performs on stage during the Quart music festival in Kristiansand, July 1, 2009.

BUDAPEST (Reuters Life!) - What garlic and holy water did for vampires, fast and prayer may do to U.S. shock rocker Marilyn Manson in Hungary.

At least that is the hope of some Catholic churchgoers in Hungary, who have posted placards in and around the churches of Sopron, a town near the Austrian border in western Hungary, which is hosting a four-day music festival that lists Manson as one of the main acts.

The placards say: "Protest against the concert of American satanist band Marilyn Manson in Sopron" in red and black capitals.

Manson, the flamboyant rocker whose hits include "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" and "Antichrist Superstar," will descend on the festival on Saturday and is expected to draw several thousand people.

Church members took action after repeated calls to have the act canceled were left unheeded. They say the show can incite hatred against Christians and also provides a platform for abusing the Church and its sacraments.

"Therefore, we turn to all of our benevolent Christian brothers that they plead for those inciting hatred and for our misguided brothers with prayer and offering a fast," the placards say.

(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs, editing by Paul Casciato)