“The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…
As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…
The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…
But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…
Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…
TWO days was all it took for the Vatican to realise it had made a massive blunder by issuing a stamp created to celebrate World Youth Day in Portugal in August, 2023.
After its release this week, the stamp was scrapped in the face of outrage over what many, including Catholics, saw as a celebration of nationalism and authoritarianism. One bishop branded it as being “in terribly poor taste”.
Catholic news outlet Crux pointed out that the stamp featured the Pope standing on a statue erected under the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar.
Several observers on social media pointed out that the stamp is similar to imagery employed by Portugal’s “Secretariat of National Propaganda” during Salazar’s Estado Novo, or “New State.”
Image via YouTube
Crux reported that Portuguese Bishop Carlos Alberto de Pinho Moreira Azevedo, above, delegate to the Pontifical Council for Social Sciences, was among those objected to the stamp.
Yesterday (Friday) it was reported by Aleteia that 45,000 WYD stamps were to be printed and sold for 3.10 euros (around $3.41).
Designed by Italian illustrator Stefano Morri, it shows Pope Francis leading a group of young people up the “Monument of Discoveries” (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), which is a large sculpture of a sailboat situated near the river Tagus that runs through Lisbon.
The monument was built in 1960 and celebrates the Portuguese age of discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Those who slammed the work said it highlighted the country’s colonialist past and was reminiscent of graphics and illustrations produced during Portugal’s dictatorship, which had close ties with the RCC via a Concordat signed in 1940.
Salazar, Prime Minister of Portugal, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Cardinal Pietro Ciriaci, during the ratification of the Concordat on 1 June 1940, in Necessidades Palace, Lisbon. Image via Wiki CC.
Bishop Azevedo told the Portuguese daily Diario de Noticias:
The stamp is in terribly bad taste. Certainly Pope Francis does not identify with this nationalistic image.
In reaction to the criticisms, Rosa Pedroso Lima, spokesperson for the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation, explained that the illustration of the stamp is:
An image of the Pope on a Lisbon monument, symbolising, in a kind of allegory, St. Peter’s boat and the Pope leading young people and the Church into a new era.
There will always be several readings of whatever is in a work of art, be it a stamp or an illustration.
You can also support my work via a one-off donation via PayPal, Buy Me a Coffee or GofundMe.
If you spot any typos in this report please notify me at freethinkered@aol.com
Latest posts
American Christian nationalism v theocratic Iran: a recipe for utter disaster
UNTIL September 24 last year the US had a Secretary of Defense in the form of Christian nationalist and “Holy War” advocate Pete Hegseth, above, who, during a decade as a Fox News guest, contributor and host, exhibited “a consistent pattern of advocating belligerence towards Iran.” On September 25 he was named Secretary of War,…
Christian nutjob, ‘who thinks The Wizard of Oz was a documentary,’ axed by South Australian Liberal Party
THE South Australian Liberal Party has confirmed that Carston Woodhouse, above, a candidate in the upcoming state election, will not be running for the party after a series of idiotic remarks he made about homosexuality, feminism and abortion resurfaced. Among the outrageous things Woodhouse said was that he had seen witches “melting.” This prompted Angry…
Money-grubbing US preacher Sean (‘Goldilocks’) Feucht sued over misused $250,00 donation
AMONG America’s vast stockpile of lunatic, far-right, Trump-lovin’ and exceedingly avaricious preachers is Sean Feucht, above, who has has frequently been accused of misdeeds ranging from “spiritual abuse” to “financial impropriety.” The shameless huckster stands accused of not including information in his tax reporting around his own salary and the close relationships between his various…
Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist 
Leave a reply to barriejohn Cancel reply