From the Guardian... I think it's kind of.... sweet.
The unveiling of an anatomically detailed sculpture of Christ made entirely out of milk chocolate has infuriated Catholic groups in New York.
"This is one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever," said Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League. "It's not just the ugliness of the portrayal, but the timing - to choose Holy Week is astounding."
The 1.8-metre-high sculpture, which depicts Jesus suspended as if from the cross, has been dubbed "My Sweet Lord" by its creator, Cosimo Cavallaro.
It is scheduled to open at the midtown Manhattan Lab gallery on Monday evening, the day after Palm Sunday and just four days before Good Friday, with closing planned for Easter Sunday.
"The fact that they chose Holy Week shows this is calculated, and the timing is deliberate," said Donohue, whose group represents 350,000 Catholics countrywide.
He called for an economic boycott of the hotel, which he described as "already morally bankrupt".
The gallery's creative director, Matt Semler, said the Lab had been overrun with angry telephone calls and emails about the exhibit.
Although he described Donohue's response as "a Catholic fatwa", Semler said the gallery was considering its options.
"We're obviously surprised by the overwhelming response and offence people have taken," said Semler, adding that the Holy Week timing was an unfortunate coincidence.
"We are certainly in the process of trying to figure out what we're going to do next."
3 comments:
Ah, yes, the Catholic League. Overreacting to trivialities once again in an effort to "prove" its relevance.
Do they show this kind of outrage on, say, matters of capital punishment (which is strictly denounced by formal Catholic doctrine)? Or the genocide in Darfur?
Nah.
But an artist makes what they see as an unflattering depiction of Christ...now THAT deserves outrage?
Silly people. As if I needed another reason to avoid attending mass!
Barbara Brown Taylor said, “Human beings never behave more badly than when they believe they are protecting God.”
Seems to me that God can take care of God without any help from the Catholic League.
But Jesus was naked, wasn't he?
Yes, Amy, God hardly needs our protection.
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