Government of Buenos Aires offers lukewarm apology for blasphemous art exhibit

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 2, 2004 / 22:00 pm

In an effort to address the concerns of Catholics, the Secretary for Culture of the city of Buenos Aires, Gustavo Lopez, apologized to “those who may have been offended” by a controversial “art exhibit” which ridiculed the Catholic faith, the Blessed Mother and the saints.  However, the exhibit will continue to be on display.

Gustavo Lopez said there was “no intention” to “offend anybody” and that he thought the works by militant atheist Leon Ferrir were “controversial” but not “offensive.”

”Its one thing for a work to be controversial, which is what we consider in art, and another for it to be offensive.  We never think in aggressive terms,” he said in response to a letter by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, who called on Catholics to be courageous in the wake of this “blasphemy which is an embarrassment to our city.”

Lopez the signs posted at the entrance to the exhibit warning visitors that, “for religious or moral reasons some individuals might be affected” by the display was sufficient.

The exhibit was opened on Tuesday and includes 400 works by Ferrari, including erotic scenes featuring the Virgin Mary in a frying pan and saints in a blender.

Despite the lukewarm apology by Lopez and his insistence that Ferrari’s “art” is not offensive to Catholics, many Argentineans believe the state is funding blasphemy with taxpayer money.

A poll this week revealed that most in country think the exhibit is blasphemy rather than art.