Jamaica: prelate rips newspaper over photo of blasphemous sculpture

April 26, 2011

A Jamaican prelate has criticized a newspaper’s decision to publish a photograph of a blasphemous sculpture of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

“For the life of me I cannot begin to fathom the Observer's rationale for a full three-page exposition of Christ's naked body with reference to the sacrosanct belief of the Eucharist,” said Archbishop Emeritus Donald Reece of Kingston, who retired on April 15. “I wonder if an artist had caricatured the prophet Mohammed or some aspects of the Qur’an, if you would have featured it so readily and prominently in your newspaper.”

“We adults have opened the sluice gate of relativism, inappropriateness, and indecency; the result is far-reaching,” the archbishop added. “Sanctity of life linked to a sense of mystery is fast disappearing.”

Artist Laura Facey defended her work. “If you don't create a stir, then what's the point of doing the work? Not that that's my aim,” she said. “I'm happy that it does, actually. It makes me feel that we're alive, I'm alive, my work is doing something.”

4% of the nation’s 2.7 million residents are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics; some 60% are Protestant.

 

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Further information:

• Observer's Jesus story upsets archbishop (Jamaica Observer)