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 Madonna, 57, is on a world tour to promote her 13th studio
album, "Rebel Heart", which combines her trademark sexually
charged performance and lyrics.
She performs on Wednesday and Thursday in the same hall where
Pope Francis met Filipino families a year ago.
"Why is the Catholic Philippines the favorite venue for
blasphemy against God and the Holy Mother?" asked Ramon
Arguelles, archbishop of Lipa City, south of the capital.
"Pinoys and all God-loving people should avoid sin and occasions
of sin," he said in a statement on the website of the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, referring to Filipinos.
Roman Catholics make up about 80 percent of the Philippine
population of more than 100 million and the church has strong
influence, blocking legislation on the death penalty, divorce
and same-sex marriage.
There was no immediate reply to telephone calls from Reuters
seeking comment from the event organizer or Madonna, who arrived
in Manila on Monday and visited Catholic-run orphanages,
including one of the oldest, near the presidential palace.
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Tickets for the concert can cost as much as 57,750 pesos
($1,211.84).
Madonna is famed for her hits, "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl",
but some of her music videos used religious symbols in ways the
Roman Catholic prelates found offensive and disrespectful.
The performer's concerts were among "subtle attacks of the evil
one", the bishop added, in an apparent reference to Satan. In 2012,
Arguelles also opposed the Manila concert of Lady Gaga as the work
of Satan.
In the wealthy neighboring city state of Singapore, where Madonna is
scheduled to perform on Sunday, Catholic authorities also expressed
grave concern.
"It is our moral obligation not to support those who denigrate and
insult religions, including anti-Christian and immoral values
promoted by the secular world," Singapore Archbishop William Goh
said on the archdiocese website.
(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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