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Madonna's 'crucifixion' in Rome irks the Vatican Posted on : 2006-08-07 | Author : Bharat Rathode News Category : Entertainment The need to shock is something that Madonna just can't let go of. The singer, on Sunday, in a concert in Rome, emulated a crucifixion, and also symbolically showed a stand-off between Islam and Christianity while performing the song Forbidden Love. During the song, Madonna danced between two men, one of whom had a Star of David painted on his chest and the other a crescent moon that symbolizes Islam. She also donned a crown made of thorns and was mounted on a cross. Madonna has earlier been accused of blasphemy by the Vatican, and she irked the Pope further when she invited him for her performance. In her quintessential style, Madonna belted out one controversial imagery after another, symbolically showing the Pope's pictures along with those of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. "Did you know two miracles have taken place in Rome? Italy won the World Cup and the rain stopped before my show," she quipped to the audience. Madonna, who abandoned her Catholic upbringing for Judaism offshoot Cabbala, first invited the wrath of the Vatican in 1989, when her song Like a Prayer showed her trying to seduce a black Jesus. The video also had crosses on fire and statues crying tears of blood. Her latest stunt has irked not only Catholic leaders but also Muslim ones. "It is disrespectful, in bad taste and provocative. Being raised on a cross with a crown of thorns like a modern Christ is absurd. Doing it in the cradle of Christianity comes close to blasphemy," said Father Manfredo Leone of the Santa Maria Liberatrice church in Rome. "This is a blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the Cross. She should be excommunicated. To crucify herself in the city of Popes and martyrs is an act of open hostility," said Vatican Cardinal Ersilio Tonino. Italy's Muslim League was also behind the Vatican on this one. "I think her idea is in the worst taste and she'd do better to go home," said Mario Scialoja, who heads the Muslim League in Italy. However, Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg defended the act and said, "The context of Madonna's performance on the crucifix is not negative nor disrespectful toward the church." Meanwhile, the outrageous acts have failed to dim the singer's popularity. Over 70,000 fans attended the concert and though some were put off by the crucifixion, most dismissed it as quintessential Madonna. "The crucifixion was unnecessary and provocative. Because this is Rome, I wish she'd cut it out. But it's Madonna, she's an icon, and that balances out her need to provoke," said Tonia Valerio, a 39-year-old fan. The venue of the performance, Olympic stadium, is two miles from the Vatican. This is the only Italian stop that Madonna's Confessions tour has. More fireworks are expected when the Italian-American singer hits Moscow, where religious leaders have urged Christians to boycott the performance. Madonna will be in Moscow on September 11. "This is not the first year this lady has been mixing singing about human passions with Christian symbols - crosses, statues of the Virgin, beads and now it's self crucifixion," said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the deputy head of Moscow patriachate foreign relations department. "This means the singer needs spiritual assistance," he added. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
