An Italian Catholic watchdog group says a blasphemous ad featuring a priest consecrating potato chips in place of Eucharistic hosts has been ordered pulled from the airwaves. The Italian Association of Radio and Television Listeners (Associazione Italiana Ascoltatori Radio e Televisione, AIART) on Monday had called for the immediate suspension of an advertisement by the Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Blasphemy’
After protest from Catholics, blasphemous potato chip ad ordered pulled in Italy
Thursday, April 11th, 2024Lighting up Christ the Redeemer with a Taylor Swift T-shirt isn’t blasphemy. I still don’t like it.
Monday, November 27th, 2023
The giant Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro sparked chatter last week when it was fitted with a projected image of a Taylor Swift T-shirt, who launched the Brazil leg of her Eras Tour on Nov. 17. The 124-foot statue of Jesus, with outstretched arms that span 92 feet, can be seen from Read more
Madonna asks Pope Francis to meet and discuss her ‘blasphemous’ behaviour
Monday, May 9th, 2022Madonna reached out to Pope Francis nearly two decades after the Vatican condemned her “blasphemous” behaviour. The singer — born Madonna Louise Ciccone — said she’d like a second chance to make things right, vowing she’s nothing less than “a good Catholic”. “Hello @Pontifex Francis —I’m a good Catholic. I Swear! I mean I don’t Read more
Thousands protest in Pakistan over reprinting of Mohammad cartoons in France
Monday, September 7th, 2020Tens of thousands of people protested across Pakistan on Friday against French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s reprinting of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad, chanting “Death to France” and calling for boycotts of French products. “Decapitation is the punishment of blasphemers,” read one of the placards carried by protesters. The cartoons sending up the Prophet Mohammad triggered Read more
US seeks blasphemy reforms after Pakistan court killing
Monday, August 10th, 2020The United States has urged Pakistan to amend its blasphemy laws after an American citizen was killed inside a courtroom in Peshawar on July 29. Tahir Ahmed Naseem was shot dead in Peshawar district court where he was due to attend a hearing on charges of blasphemy. Naseem was a former member of Pakistan’s minority Read more
Pope’s words on interfaith prayer against coronavirus sparks controversy among Catholics
Monday, May 18th, 2020Pope Francis is being accused of “blasphemy” and “sacrilege” by some Catholics for participating in an interfaith prayer Thursday with Muslims, Jews and Christians, calling on God to end the coronavirus pandemic. The Abu Dhabi-based multifaith Higher Committee on Human Fraternity formed after the pope’s historic visit in 2019 to the Arabian peninsula. Its nine Read more
Greek government drops plans to criminalise blasphemy
Thursday, November 14th, 2019Greece’s conservative government says it’s scrapping plans to criminalize blasphemy. Justice Minister Costas Tsiaras said Tuesday that the proposal has been removed from draft legislation that’s being debated in Parliament. It would have made blasphemy punishable by up to two years in prison. The proposal had been widely criticized. Continue reading
Top cardinal denounces Viganò
Monday, October 8th, 2018
Cardinal Marc Ouellet has written an open letter to Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò about the endemic corruption Viganò says has invaded the Church’s hierarchy. Noting Viganò had urged him to tell the truth about Archbishop Emeritus Theodore McCarrick, Ouellet – with Pope Francis’s permission – offered Viganò his “personal testimony, as the Prefect of the Congregation Read more
Muslims – Catholics join against blasphemy
Monday, February 12th, 2018
Muslim activists in Indonesia want police to charge one of their hard-line clerics with blasphemy. They have joined Catholic students who accuse the cleric of insulting Christianity. They accuse the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, Rizieq Syihab, of mocking Christians following a sermon on Christmas Day. He reportedly said, “If God gave birth, then Read more
Grand-standing on blasphemy law – archaic but no real threat
Thursday, May 11th, 2017
Bishop Steve Lowe the Catholic Bishop of the Hamilton says New Zealanders are fortunate to live in a land where freedom of speech and belief was enshrined in law and blasphemy laws seem archaic. “Some years ago I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Pakistan at a time when their Blasphemy Laws were causing real Read more