This is ridiculous. The Italian museum with the crucified green frog has refused to take down the blasphemy, even after the Holy Father has asked for its removal.
By ARIEL DAVID
ROME (AP) – An art museum in northern Italy said Thursday it will continue displaying a sculpture portraying a green frog nailed to a cross that has angered Pope Benedict XVI and local officials.
The board of the foundation of the Museion in the city of Bolzano voted to keep the work by the late German artist Martin Kippenberger, the museum said in a statement.
Earlier in August the pope had written a letter to Franz Pahl, the president of the Trentino-Alto Adige region that includes Bolzano, denouncing the sculpture.
It “has offended the religious feelings of many people who consider the cross a symbol of God’s love and of our redemption,” Pahl quoted the pope as writing in the letter.
(AP) In this photo taken June 2nd, 2008 protesters gather outside the “Museion” museum in Bolzano ,…
Full Image
Pahl himself has long opposed the display of “Zuerst die Fuesse” (“First the Feet” in German), even staging a hunger strike this summer and saying he would not seek re-election unless it was removed.In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Pahl said he was outraged by the museum’s decision to keep the work, which he claims “pokes fun at the Catholic population and offends religion and the pope.”
Comments Policy: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic. If your comment contains a hyperlink to another site, your comment automatically goes into "Comments Purgatory" where it waits for release by way of moderation.