Great News! Testament of Mary Cut Short

Great news! The blasphemous play "The Testament of Mary" has been cut short. On April 22, nearly 400 Catholics led by the America Needs Fatima protested the play in which the main character (playing the Blessed Mother) says the whole redemption story was false and in the end entirely disrobes.

Here is the result of  this protest!

Playbill News: The Testament of Mary, Starring Fiona Shaw, Will Close May 5

PLAYBILL.COM

The Testament of Mary, Starring Fiona Shaw, Will Close May 5

By Adam Hetrick

April 30, 2013

The Testament of Mary, starring Tony Award nominee and four-time Olivier Award-winning actress Fiona

Shaw as the mother of Christ, will end its Broadway run May 5 at the Walter Kerr Theatre after 16 regular

performances.

Authored by Irish novelist Colm Toibln, the play is the first Broadway production to post a closing notice

following the April 30 announcement of the 2013 Tony Award nominations. Despite earning three Tony

nominations, including Best Play, The Testament of Mary will end its run prematurely.

It began previews March 26 and officially opened to mixed reviews April 22 after playing 27 previews. It was

scheduled to playa 12-week engagement through June 16.

 

Nearly 400 Protest Blasphemous Play in New York

Nearly 400 Catholics from 5 states stood across from the Walter Kerr Theater in New York City, Rosaries in hand, at 6:00pm on Monday, April 22.  

Here are some photos from that event.
See report on the blasphemies in “The Testament of Mary” play here: REPORT
 
America Needs Fatima and the American Society for the Defense of Tradition Family & Property (TFP) members in full ceremonial habit carried a statue of Our Lady of Fatima on their shoulders while the group prayed and sang hymns in public reparation proudly defending their faith and comforting Our Lady as her name was being blasphemed within the theater.

Our Lady's Statue Brutally Vandalized in St. Louis Church

Published on St. Louis Review (http://stlouisreview.com)

The statue, a "signature" feature of St. Mary of Victories, was vandalized sometime late Aug. 9 or early the next morning -- the head was sliced off and was missing.  On Aug. 13, people coming to an early Monday morning Mass found the head returned to the bottom of the pedestal, with Satanic inscriptions in red and blood drawn dripping from the corners of Our Lady's mouth to make her look like a vampire. Father Harrison described it as "a horrible act of desecration."

See more here:
http://stlouisreview.com/article/2012-08-15/statue-vandalism

Protest Madonna's Blasphemous Use of Catholic Symbol

Pop icon Madonna has usurped the symbol on the back of the Miraculous Medal to ‘brand’ her latest mix of blasphemy and marketing: Truth or Dare perfume.

Macy’s department stores are the exclusive distributors, and Coty, Inc. is the manufacturer.

Defend the honor of the Mother of God and her miraculous medal. Please send your protest to them now.

Madonna also shot and produced a commercial for the perfume, which was so immodest and suggestive that, according to the New York Post website “ABC viewed the ad [and] came back with a list of changes.

The true Miraculous Medal icon as dictated by Our Lady to St. Catherine

Send Your Instant E-PROTEST Message

Send Your E-protest against a Blasphemous Exhibition that Mocks Our Crucified Lord

The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, is exhibiting the blasphemous work by Martin Kippenberger, Feet First, a four foot high wooden sculpture of a crucified frog in loincloth, brandishing a mug of beer and an egg.

The Vatican denounced a 2008 showing of this as “…provocative and blasphemous…”

SEND YOUR PROTEST EMAIL NOW

You can make a difference in the halls of heaven and in your own life.

This world-wide group of like-minded spirits, who proclaim themselves as ‘progressive’ people, allow and promote such insults to Our Lord at every opportunity they have and are never satisfied with expressing insults to God, Our Lord, Our Lady, Catholicism, and purity.

VATICAN DENOUNCES

You are in great company when you protest this macabre “exhibit”. According to press reports, the Vatican denounced this so-called “art” when it was exhibited in Bolzano, Italy, in 2008.

• artforum.com, August 29, 2008, the work “was condemned by the Vatican as blasphemous.” [emphasis added – Ed.]

• again, according to the artforum.com article mentioned above, a regional government representative (South Tyrol, Italy), Franz Pahl, did a week long hunger strike, and said the exhibit was a “grave offense to our Catholic population.” [emphasis added – Ed.]

• according to post.thing.net, Stephen Kaplan’s art review blog, Sept. 1, 2008, “various clergy, government functionaries [Italian – Ed.], and Vatican spokesmen…have denounced it as provocative and blasphemous, and demanded its removal.” [emphasis added – Ed.]

• again, post.thing.net, in the same article, stated that to support the removal “there have been various actions, including a hunger strike by a local politician, a petition signed by 10,000 citizens, and a protest march.” [emphasis added – Ed.]

• and arcadja.com (Arcadja Art Magazine) June 10, 2008, reports “the case has also been assessed by the ecclesiastic apex. The general secretary of the Cei, Mons. Giuseppe Betori, … said that ‘this episode cannot be left unspoken about.’” [emphasis added – Ed.]

Are we to do less?

It’s a vile thing. They promote bigotry and hatred using one of the holiest of objects, while disclaiming that the “art” in question is just a matter of opinion and perspective, with them, of course, holding the better, more “open” opinion.

If all of the above isn’t enough to get you to protest this blasphemy, consider the link to satanic ritual that Nicole Davis brings up in her October, 2005 article "I Love Kippenberger" (Artnet.com).

In it she says “The Cross of a Frog [an even more impure representation of this same work by Kippenberger – Ed.] is also a satanic ritual outlined by occultist Alistair Crowley in his book of “Libers.” In reference to the frog he orders, ‘During the day thou shalt approach the frog whenever convenient, and speak words of worship. Also thou shalt promise to the frog elevation fitting for him; and all this while thou shalt be secretly carving a cross whereupon to crucify him.’…The ritual continues its instructions uncannily ‘Then shalt thou stab the frog to the heart with the Dagger of Art.’”

It’s time for us, as devotees of Our Lord to protest and pray in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our Lord’s crucifixion and its meaning are off limits to such profanation and mockery.

SEND YOUR PROTEST EMAIL NOW

Please, Please Protest! Children Throw Grenades And Worse At Jesus In New Blasphemous Play…

Please join our protest of a blasphemous new theater play called "On The Concept of the Face..."

Because in the play the Holy Face of Jesus is subjected to the most vile possible insults and mockeries!

PROTEST NOW

(READ WITH CAUTION... this is highly blasphemous!...and also vulgar.)

According to reviews of the theater play On The Concept of the Face... in the play:

“…a son taking care of his incontinent father. He wants to go to work, but his father ***** himself again and again. You see the brown stains on his diaper … You even smell the horrible stench.


“Then nine kids walk on stage. They take off their backpacks and start taking out grenades. They take out the pin and start throwing them at the face of Christ. Each time they hit the painting you hear a loud bang.

“The last scene is entirely about that painting.”

PROTEST NOW

The Last Scene: (The review’s wording is too vile to continue with, so I’ll take it from here.)

It looks like a large knife slashes the face of Christ. Large, red-brown streaks ‘bleed’ out and spread over His face, before a black veil of the ‘tears’ entirely covers the portrait of the Son of God.

The painting is finally torn up, giving way to a large black panel. Above, in large letters, one can read, You are my shepherd. There’s another word that comes into view as well: not. You are not my shepherd.

This play has been touring major European cities since the summer of 2011, but, sadly, we have only just come across it.

It is scheduled to show from February 1 – February 5
at the deSingel International Arts Campus in the city of Antwerp, Belgium, so there’s no time to lose, protest now!

You and I both know that it makes no difference whatsoever where the Satanic head of blasphemy rears itself... If we know about it, we MUST defend the honor of God.

Hopefully, if everyone who gets this email actually peacefully and legally defends Our Lord’s honor and protests, then we will have a very practical effect upon the administrators of the deSignell “Arts” campus and maybe they’ll stop the blasphemous play from showing.

If not, at least we will have done our duty to God.

PROTEST UNWHOLESOME Super Bowl Halftime

They’re Ruining The Super Bowl For Families.
NFL Hires The Sensual & Neo-Pagan
Cirque du Soleil To Perform
With Impure & Blasphemous Madonna

Would you watch a football game that the openly homosexual Web site "Xtra" promotes?

And what about all the children who will unwittingly be watching the halftime show?

Here’s how the above mentioned Web site “Xtra” feels about it:

"Madonna to host gayest Super Bowl halftime show ever."

The site goes on to say:

“[In the 1990’s] the [Super Bowl] halftime show took its first tentative steps out of the closet, featuring the New Kids on the Block in 1991, Gloria Estefan and gay figure skater Brian Boitano in 1992 and Michael Jackson in 1993. Since then, Estefan, Queen Latifah, Christina Aguilera and 'N Sync have all performed, but never has the show just come out and said, "I'm gay" the way that having Madonna perform over ...Québécois acrobats no doubt will.

Welcome out of the closet, Super Bowl halftime show. You'll like it here.

Maybe your example will help all those young aspiring football players who are still in the closet.”

How shocking!

In face of this shocking statement, I ask you to speak out and to…

1) SEND YOUR PROTEST TO THE NFL For Choosing Unwholesome Entertainment For Your Super Bowl.

Your instant e -protest message to the NFL will make them reconsider and maybe even stop this anti-family entertainment at future Super Bowls.

Who can turn a blind eye to all the insults and blasphemies hurled at the Mother of God and Her Divine Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ that the aging fifty-two year old Madonna has relentlessly and feverishly performed to audiences over the decades?

Can Madonna’s performances be held in too great disdain by devotees of God and His holy Mother? In a peaceful way, let’s do something about it.

On the home page of Madonna’s website, she has produced a 30 second “teaser” video crowing about her selection of the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl XLIV and gives her fans a visual idea of the super-sensual entertainment she likely plans to offer in league with Cirque du Soleil.

WARNING: both Madonna’s and Cirque’s Web-sites are objectionable.

Please, for the lo ve of God and the good of your family and our nation take an Important INSTANT ACTION.

SEND YOUR PROTEST TO THE NFL For Choosing Unwholesome Entertainment For The Super Bowl.

Beyond Disgusting: Protest Movie Thrashing Our Catholic Faith!

Warning: read with extreme caution. This new movie is very disturbing.

In the new movie, “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,” there are such disgusting scenes as:

- Lesbian activity among nuns
- Obscenities hurled at Our Lord Jesus Christ
- Priests running after an altar boy
- The trashing of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Small children high on cocaine

This is an unspeakable blasphemy!

And it shows that Catholics cannot become complacent when the Faith is attacked.

Otherwise, the promoters of blasphemy keep on pushing the envelope with new and more outrageous insults to the Catholic Church.

Yet they don’t attack Muhammad in this same way!

For too long, Catholics have remained silent and done nothing while the Faith was attacked. Now, we will peacefully and prayerfully protest and speak out against these mockeries of our Faith.

Send your instant e-protest message now. Click here!

And please do an act of reparation for this most terrible blasphemy against Our Lord, Our Lady and the Catholic Faith

TFP Mentioned in Oklahoma Protest Video News Storyersy

For all of you who protested against the blasphemous play in Oklahoma, see what kind of controversy you have raised! Here is a video news report on the protest.

See the link below:

KOKH FOX 25 :: Top Stories - Bible play controversy

Sony's Woes: The Curse of the DaVinci Code

Written by John Horvat II

Times have not been good for electronic media giant Sony. The New York Times recently carried a short article that reported the company has lost 37 percent of its market value over the last six years. It has been hit by one disaster after another. Future projections do not look good either. While there are many explanations that analysts offer to explain the dismal performance of this once stellar company, there is one explanation that is never mentioned: the Curse of the DaVinci Code. It has been six years since Sony began production of the movie, The DaVinci Code, based on the bestselling yet now forgotten book with the same title by Dan Brown. The book’s blasphemous affirmations denied the Divinity of Christ and claimed He was married to Saint Mary Magdalene and had children, which offended countless faithful at the time. Numerous books and studies debunked these absurd and horrific theses along with others that author Dan Brown nevertheless affirmed were true. From the moment production began, it appears as if the Curse of the DaVinci Code descended upon Sony and there it still remains. One has to admit that the evidence is pretty compelling. Almost immediately Sony was hit by waves of negative publicity from the film and even hired an expensive Hollywood public relations firm specialized in “reputation management.” Among those protesting the Sony film was the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign. Eleven American Catholic bishops eventually joined in encouraging protests in front of theaters. By the time it was all over, outraged Catholics had logged in an impressive 2,092 theater protests across the nation. Because of the negative publicity and protests, domestic box office receipts for The DaVinci Code were disappointing and the film won no academy awards. Over the years since then, the fortunes of Sony have been plagued in other areas with a long litany of problems, infighting, delays and mistakes. Many will remember the famous case of the Sony’s lithium ion batteries used in laptop computers that mysteriously started to catch fire in 2006. The company had to scramble to control damage and spent nearly $434 million on recalling and replacing the Sony batteries in 10 million laptops from Dell, Apple, Lenovo and other companies. In 2007, Sony had huge problems in the marketing and developing of PlayStation 3, its game console, which it had hopes of making a new cash cow. Factory delays, high production cost and a bad marketing strategy resulted in a $2 billion loss as it struggled to stay in the market. These and other problems all fit well into the plot of the Curse of the DaVinci Code. Sony seems to have had more than its share of misfortunes. The most recent bad news adds to its woes. In June, Sony reported a $3.2 billion net loss, its largest loss in 16 years. It further announced that next year it could see a loss of $2 billion from its operating profit. Among the austerity measures taken, CEO Howard Stringer has just been given a fifteen percent cut in his salary. In April, someone cracked Sony’s own code – computer code. The firm was hit hard by cyber attacks involving hackers who brought down the PlayStation Network for a month and compromised the security of names, addresses and passwords of nearly 100 million subscribers. The March 11 tsunami in Japan also shuttered many Sony factories and interrupted supply lines. All these problems weigh heavily upon the future of the electronic media giant. Someone might object that the mere listing of misfortunes does not prove the Curse of the DaVinci Code. Just because something happens after the fact does not mean it happens because of the fact. No connection should be forced upon unconnected events. This may be true but it is interesting to remember that when The DaVinci Code book and movie came out, the media did everything possible to promote the thesis that Christ was not divine and the church was a medieval fabrication. The proofs? Disconnected facts, forged documents, Gnostic gospels and phony theology. There were no facts to back up the hype around the film, and yet it was presented as something that was true. Granted, the Curse of the DaVinci Code may not exist. However, at least, the hypothesis is based upon verifiable facts that anyone can check out. One also has to admit that the mysterious case of exploding batteries and unknown hackers from cyberspace entering into the firm’s computer code all read as if from a chapter of Dan Brown’s book. It is certainly easier to believe in the Curse of the DaVinci Code than the actual book itself. Of course, Sony’s misfortunes could all just be an amazing coincidence, or simply a spate of bad luck. Those things happen… and keep happening.

Protest Now! Brooklyn Museum Hosts Blasphemous Art

Written by Robert Ritchie

Our Lord Jesus Christ is attacked once again! Insulted! Blasphemed! This time at the Brooklyn Museum of Art where they will show “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,” an exhibit on homosexual and lesbian themes. As part of this exhibit, there is a blasphemous video by David Wojnarowicz, who died of AIDS in 1992, with a scene of ants crawling on a crucifix. This same blasphemous exhibit was removed from the Smithsonian in November of 2010 due to a huge public outcry. Now the Brooklyn Museum of Art has decided to show it! In my opinion, this is an outrage against the Sacred Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ and we cannot remain silent about it. And I am sure that you won’t remain silent either! Send your instant e-protest message Moreover, the Brooklyn Museum receives city, state and federal funding, although Museum representative Adam Husted says they are not using tax dollars to directly cover the costs of the exhibit. Sure it doesn't! We’ve heard that before. Of couse, the public money does not DIRECTLY fund the blasphemous exhibit, no! But it covers other museum expenses and frees up cash and INDIRECTLY supports blasphemous exhibits such as this ant covered crucifix. For all of these reasons, it is important that we Catholics speak up and tell the Brooklyn of Art how offended we are. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross to save us from our sins – can we not, at the very least, speak out in His defense? Send your instant e-protest message

Protest now! Jerry Springer Opera in California

Catholics are encouraged to send an instant e-protest message to the Chance Center in Anaheim, California – because they’re showing the Southern California premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera, which is full of profanity, nudity and blasphemous content. Some examples are:

• The crucifixion is mocked and the Eucharist is trashed.
• There is a lady singing “Jerry eleison.” (mocking the Mass: Kyrie Eleison)
• Jesus is introduced as “the hypocrite son of the fascist tyrant on high.” He wears a diaper, is fat and effeminate and later admits: “Actually, I am a bit gay.”
• Eve gropes Jesus in a manner too indecent to describe while the Annunciation is described as a rape.
• God is a fat man in a white suit who complains about being blamed for everyone’s problems. He invites Jerry Springer to join Him to “sit in Heaven beside me, hold my hand and guide me.” At the end, Jerry emerges as the true savior of mankind.

Click here to send your instant e-protest message

The “opera” has earned its blasphemous reputation. In London, the debut was the subject of a libel suit for defaming Christians. When it was to be aired on the BBC, it drew more than 60,000 complaints.

As Catholics, you and I cannot accept such insults to Our Lord and the Catholic Faith! That’s why I ask you to please send a protest message via email to the Chance Theater today.

Click here to send your instant e-protest message

For the love of Our Lord and the Catholic Church, please send your message today, and consider forwarding this email to all the Catholics you know.

Protest Irish University Non-stop Blasphemy!

In our globalized world, blasphemy can cross the oceans and airwaves with more ease than in previous ages. And that is now the case with the blasphemous art exhibit "Our Lady and Other Queer Santas," by the self-avowed lesbian Alma Lopez, which will be on display at the University College Cork and is open to the general public.

As you know, the digital photo collage ‘Our Lady’ shows Our Lady of Guadalupe in a floral bikini, hands on hips, held up by a bare breasted angel. Shocking!!!

On June 24^th, the University College Cork (Ireland) is hosting the blasphemous art exhibit "Our Lady and Other Queer Santas" as part of a conference on Hispanic Studies.

Tell the University College Cork (Ireland) how shocked you are by this.

Send your instant e-protest message NOW

At the same conference on Hispanic Studies, Alma Lopez will talk about "Our Lady and Other Queer Santas.

She will also sign copies of her blasphemous book called “Our Lady of Controversy: Alma Lopez's ‘Irreverent’ Apparition,” which has that same blasphemous and impure collage of Our Lady of Guadalupe on its cover.

The offenses against the Blessed Virgin Mary’s purity seem endless and in response, you and I must console Our Lady by offering Her our fervent prayers and most heartfelt acts of reparation.

Prayer and act of reparation to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary

How to Stop Blasphemy – From the Mouths of Those who Promote It

Written by John Horvat II
April 18,2011

When artist Alma Lopez displayed her “art” exhibit titled “Our Lady” in February of 2001, she did not expect protests. But the display of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a floral bikini did raise an outcry. Tens of thousands of devout Catholics came to the defense of Our Lady.

The protest caused such an uproar that the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico was forced to cut the exhibit short by four months. For nearly eight years Alma Lopez’s exhibit has not been seen – no museum would touch it.

One year later, the American Association of Museums (AAM) held its 96th Annual Meeting in Dallas. One of the featured panel discussions was about the Sante Fe controversy and why the defenders of Our Lady were so effective. The discussion was a veritable how-to manual about making effective protests.

Now Alma Lopez is showing the same picture at the Oakland Museum of California and protests are mounting. The conclusions of the panel discussion need to be applied.

Catholics who protest blasphemy are often told they are just giving
free publicity to the offending work. The truth, however, is quite the contrary - as the other side tells us.

Here is the first-hand account of the AAM meeting that shows how effective a protest can be – from the mouths of those on the other side of the museum door.
Read this report and learn how to stop blasphemy.

“Accept that you are not going to win. There is no win in such a controversy. You’re just going to survive. Those are the facts. It’s not pretty, but those are the facts.”1

Such was the counsel of journalist Hollis Walker to museum directors and curators regarding protests against blasphemous art. Her comments run quite contrary to what protesters are frequently led to believe.

Indeed, Catholics who protest blasphemy are often told that they are ineffective since the offending piece is rarely removed. At best, they are told, their anti-blasphemy efforts are but symbolic gestures. Others dismiss all protesting as free publicity for the offending work.

The arts establishment pretends not to notice protesters and makes it seem that the protesters’ efforts are of no avail.

Rarely does the protester see what actually happens on the other side of the museum doors when blasphemy is displayed. Piercing the silence, however, can be quite revealing.

Panelist John McCarthy told the audience that only 300 appeared at the TFP rally. However, TFP members collected over 600 signatures.

Piercing the Silence

The American Association of Museums (AAM) held its 96th Annual Meeting in Dallas on May 12-16, 2002, at the Dallas Convention Center. More than 5,000 museum professionals representing approximately 1,000 museums from every state and 30 foreign countries convened in what was termed “the largest cultural gathering in the world.”

This august forum was the scene of a panel discussion that shows just how seriously the arts establishment takes anti-blasphemy protesters.

“I felt I was at a secret meeting of the opposition,” said TFP observer James Miller, who attended the event. “I couldn’t believe how they just said everything. It was like being on the other side of the museum door during the protest.”

Even more revealing was the fact that the panel focused on the controversy surrounding a blasphemous portrayal of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in February of 2001. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign worked together with local activists to protest the portrayal. The rally gathered nearly a thousand Catholics.

“Our Lady of Controversy”

The true image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Our Lady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art” was the very suggestive title of the panel discussion. Various experts from the museum field were selected to speak to the audience on how to deal with protests against blasphemy.

As the title suggests, the panel’s purpose was to discuss the controversy that surrounded Alma Lopez’s “Our Lady” at Santa Fe’s Museum of International Folk Art. Press reports described the exhibit as a computer collage portraying a bikini-clad Virgin of Guadalupe held aloft by a topless female angel.

For months, this “artwork” divided the community. The June 30 rally in front of the museum united offended Catholics from all over New Mexico and at least seven other states. The America Needs Fatima campaign mobilized tens of thousands nationwide to send “Enough is enough!” protest postcards. The TFP website asked supporters to send instant e-mail protests. The effort received letters of support from bishops, priests, and national conservative figures, including congressmen.

“Completely Vulnerable”

The panel speakers stressed that controversy is extremely upsetting and outlined some tactics for dealing with the problem. Above all, it became very clear that they do not view protests as free publicity.

“I was amazed to hear them confess how utterly vulnerable they felt,” reported Mr. Miller. “They really take protests seriously.”

Indeed, the panel moderator complained that museums are naïve about their work and totally unprepared to deal with such controversies. Panelists reported their own helplessness in explaining to the public their reasons for airing blasphemy. They noted how one scene of a protester praying a rosary on the evening news had the effect of erasing any sympathy for the museum from the viewing public.

They were especially exasperated by the fact that the museum was constantly on the defensive and could never break out of the media siege.

How Effective Protests Are

Ironically, all the myths about blasphemy protests were destroyed by the very people who display such works. They testified that protests are not just symbolic gestures or free publicity but effective statements that echo throughout the arts community.

Alma Lopez, creator of “Our Lady,” speaking on the panel, admitted that it was “difficult and hard to go through all this.” She received hundreds and hundreds of e-mails per day from offended Catholics and even from children. The controversy surrounding her unpopular work left her perplexed and “marginalized.” “People are really paying attention to them,” she complained, “and our voices are not being heard at all.”

“The press with the twenty-second sound byte just kills you,” commented John McCarthy, deputy director of the Folk Art Museum. “There is no way you can present your story.”

Because of the work of a few dedicated protesters, everyone from the governor’s office to the museum regents were suddenly concerned. The controversy became national and even international news.

Uncompromising Protest

Panel speakers were also impressed by the organization of the protesters. They presented slides and video clips to illustrate the point.

They were surprised by the fact that the protesters were “more coordinated” than they were. Everywhere they turned they met opposition and “organized loud protest.”

Deputy Director McCarthy showed the national projection of the controversy by admitting that the museum received over 65,000 “Enough is enough!” protest postcards from the TFP effort. They were still coming months after the exhibit came down.

The museum directors had hoped to diffuse the controversy by entering into dialogue and compromise with protesters. The unbending attitude of the protesters left them empty-handed.

In fact, it was the directors who eventually made concessions. They canceled the four-month extension they had planned for the exhibit, closing it on the originally scheduled date. Even so, the protesters were still not satisfied.

“How serious do you take these people?” Mr. McCarthy asked, then answered himself: “Very serious!” He further noted that the museum was always unprepared, especially since the protesters “never, never gave in on any point.”

It is important to note as well that the panelists acknowledged how important it is for the local bishop to speak out against blasphemy. The fact that Archbishop Michael Sheehan of the Santa Fe Archdiocese condemned the work at the beginning of the showing caused irreparable damage to the museum public relations campaign.

“If only bishops and priests realized just how effective their protest could be!” commented Mr. Miller after the session. He observed how panelists qualified the Archbishop of Santa Fe as one of the “most powerful people in the state of New Mexico.” His condemnation was hardly free publicity.

Journalist and panel member Hollis Walker bluntly told the audience that blasphemy protests are no-win situations for museums. Their best policy is defense and damage control.

“At the very beginning, if you see something like this erupting, my best advice to you is to go hire the best public relations crisis consultant you can find,” she stressed, “because the internal public relations and marketing people at museums are not equipped to deal with this kind of issue.”

Long-Term Consequences

The consequence of a blasphemy protest goes beyond the time the exhibit is displayed. Controversy sends shock waves throughout the arts community. The ugliness of blasphemy is such that people tend to disassociate themselves from it when it is exposed.

Dr. Joyce Ice, director of the Folk Art Museum’s Office of Cultural Affairs, told the audience how controversy affects the judgment of museum directors. She pointed out “that the danger now lies not so much in being silenced but to censor ourselves in the future.”

Journalist Hollis noted that the large art community in Santa Fe remained silent during the controversy. While Catholics united and proudly stood behind Our Lady of Guadalupe, the local arts establishment did very little to come to the aid of their fellow artist.

Museum Director Tom Wilson pointed out that the controversy created a rift with the local community. Months after the exhibit came down, the wounds were still open. “We have not completely finished the healing process, or maybe in some ways you can say we haven’t really begun it,” he said.

Nearly a year after the whole controversy, the reverberations of the protest still linger. One of the questions posed to gubernatorial candidates this fall was how they would have handled the “Our Lady of Guadalupe controversy.”

Even the long-term future of the exhibit itself was affected by the protests. When asked by TFP observer James Miller about the future of the exhibit, panelists did not know, although they assured the audience that it presently had a home in the Museum of International Folk Art – safely stored in the basement.

Why Protests Are Necessary

Perhaps one of the most influential panelists was Jim Fitzpatrick, a lawyer from the Washington, D.C., firm of Arnold & Porter. Mr. Fitzpatrick has defended many offensive art pieces in what has come to be known as the “cultural wars.” He also outlined the chilling perspective of what museum will try to show in the future.

Make no mistake about it, the issue is more than just art. Mr. Fitzpatrick correctly classified the controversy surrounding these exhibits as religious, political, and ideological clashes. From the very beginning, the flashpoint of cultural wars has been art-termed-blasphemy and it will continue to be so in the future.

Mr. Fitzpatrick called upon the arts establishment not to cave in to protesters who oppose what they consider blasphemous portrayals. Rather, it must redouble its efforts and present things that challenge or even violate society standards.

“The standard of universal decency and acceptability in a society like ours,” he claimed, “is simply meaningless.”

Moreover, Mr. Fitzpatrick outlined the areas of “art” where the museum community must defend itself.

DISCRETION Advised
There are three areas where I think museums are going to be subject to attack: Images of gay sex will be a problem because society has still not broadly accepted that way of life. Second, “kiddy porn” portrayals of young children in sexual situations will continue to be highly controversial and this is one area where the courts have given more elbow room to legislators and officials to limit creativity….

“It’s clear,” Mr. Fitzpatrick continued, “that allegedly blasphemous works of visual art are going to be of continuing concern.”

The statements of Mr. Fitzpatrick and other panelists make clear why protests are so very necessary. Without them, the arts community has a virtual blank check to push back the standards of decency and morality that still remain in society.

A How-to Manual in Reverse

“Our Lady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art” panel discussion was an important look “behind the doors” of the arts community.

By outlining their tactics against protesters, the panelists inadvertently provided a veritable how-to manual in reverse that can help protesters design a more effective protest.

Indeed, there are several lessons to be learned. First, listening to the other side should destroy the myth that all protest is useless. Quite the contrary, protest is the only effective means of defending the Faith and Catholic morality in face of ever-more-horrific attacks. Protesters must be convinced that blasphemous portrayals can be no-win situations for museums.

Second, museums and theaters are ill equipped to deal with well-organized protests. Protesters must be “wise as serpents and simple as doves” (Matt. 10:16) and develop peaceful protests that reflect a will never to give in. They must resist the efforts of museum directors who would lead them to compromise their principles through dialog in hopes of defusing the controversy. Uncompromising protests serve to underscore the ugliness of blasphemy and enlist the sympathy of the public.

Third, clergy should be encouraged to add their voices to this struggle. The testimony of museum directors leaves no doubt that the voices of bishops and priests are among the most effective means of protest.

Fourth, since blasphemous art is the flashpoint of the culture wars, protesters must redouble their efforts and continue to stand tall in the face of adversity. Protesters are an important line of defense in keeping out a new wave of other portrayals (such as “kiddie porn”) that will erode public morality yet further.

Finally, Catholics protesting blasphemy do more than just preserve public morality. By protesting, they defend the honor of God and Our Lady. This task is a right, a duty, and a privilege. Even if protests were less effective, this defense alone would justify all the effort. Continuing in this struggle, protesters can be assured that God and the Blessed Mother will bless these efforts, and they can count on more victories and more strength to carry on the struggle to defend Christian civilization against an increasingly immoral and pagan world.



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4ShareFootnotes
1. All statements from museum panelists quoted in this article are taken from tapes 02446-0901 and 02446-0902 of the talk “Our Lady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art,” recorded at the American Association of Museums’ Annual Meeting & Museum Expo 2002. Tapes were produced by Chesapeake Audio/Video Communications, Inc. Elkridge, Maryland,
2002. [back]


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Catholics Must Rally in Defense of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Please Protest

Send your instant e-protest message to the Oakland Museum of California.

It is deeply painful to report that Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas, is impurely blasphemed at the Oakland Museum of California. The Oakland Museum of California is hosting an art exhibit that includes a digital portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe wearing a bikini, held aloft by a topless woman-angel!

And unfortunately, it will be on public display until May 29!

We cannot sit by idly and do nothing about this awful blasphemy! We must do reparation and lift up our voices in peaceful and prayerful protest.

Send the museum your instant e-protest message

The silence and indifference of Catholics encourages the promoters of blasphemy to push their agenda.

We ask, why so many blasphemies against the Blessed Mother? I don’t have all the answers, but perhaps they’re trying to shake the deep love and veneration you and I have for Holy Mary.

If the promoters of blasphemy hope to dull our love for God’s Holy Mother with these shocking and repeated attacks, they are dead wrong! Much to the contrary -- we will strive to increase our love for the Blessed Virgin Mary by protesting blasphemy with ever-greater zeal and increasing our acts of reparation! I’m sure you agree that we must rise to this occasion and protest, with all our hearts.

We must show Our Lord Jesus Christ that we care and that we love His most pur and holy Mother, the Patroness of the Americas, and that we will defend Her holy honor no matter how many times She is attacked and insulted. We will continue to do this by our prayerful protest and reparation, as it is the only way of showing our gratitude and our only hope of redeeming ourselves.

That is why I am urging you to speak out, and to:

Send the museum your instant e-protest message

On behalf of the Virgin of Guadalupe’s most pure honor, please join us in this peaceful and prayerful protest.

Email addresses:

communications@museumca.org

membership@museumca.org

Video Footage of TFP/ANF Protest against Jerry Springer in Lakewood, Ohio

21,000 protest e-mails sent to the Lakewood Ohio Beck Center concerning the Jerry Springer Blasphemy

150 Defenders of Our Lord at the Beck center in Lakewood Ohio

'Christmas' play insults Our Lady's purity at Columbia University

Send your instant e-protest message against XMAS,
the blasphemous, impure play against Our Lady!

Please read the following with caution since this deeply offends our Catholic sense of propriety:

According to Columbia University's art blog, they are hosting a blasphemous play called XMAS in which the "Virgin Mary" asks for explicit sins of impurity.

This is a most egregious offense against the spotless purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Please:

Send your instant e-protest message

According to one student:

"The show's shock-inducing brand of comedy might be a problem for the deeply religious. But for the rest battling pre-finals depression, this show might actually be the perfect replacement for Prozac."

It is outrageous that unspeakable insult to our Catholic faith is being played at an Ivy League University, one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in America.

Take Action

• Send your instant e-protest message NOW to President of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger.

• Join our Rosary of Reparation on Monday, December 13 at 8PM EST. Our national rosary of reparation is scheduled for exactly the same time as the blasphemous XMAS play at Columbia University.

Thank you for defending Our Lady's spotless purity this Christmas.

And may Her Divine Son reward you with abundant graces and blessings.

Protest Against Satanic "Exorcism" in Oklahoma

Written by Francis Slobodnik

On Thursday, October 21st a public satanic ritual was performed at the Civic Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The ritual was billed as a mockery of the Catholic rite of exorcism rather than what it really was – a satanic ceremony performed in public. Around 35 dedicated Catholic souls stood with TFP and America Needs Fatima to offer a public rally of reparation for this sacrilegious and blasphemous event. A ritual like this would have been horrendous no matter where it took place, however for it to have occurred and been accepted in a place such as Oklahoma, says a lot about the direction our nation is heading. Sadly lacking, was the kind of public outrage and indignation this event deserved. Those present at the rally were certainly willing to make an effort to have their voices heard. One gentleman by the name of Juan took time off from work and traveled all the way from Fort Worth, Texas to participate in the rally. He brought with him a sign containing the entire prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Another couple traveled from McKinney, Texas, almost as far. There were protesters from Arkansas, as well as from Topeka and Wichita, Kans. There were also the local faithful who participated in the rally. Some protesters were on their knees throughout the entire rally and some held signs such as, “Honk If You Reject Satan,” “Who is Like Unto God?” and “How can ‘One Nation Under God’ allow this?” Protesters strongly oppose public satanic ritual. Some of those who came to protest told us they were afraid to attend the rally, however, we must have the certainty that Our Lady is infinitely more powerful than the devil. This is truly an unfair battle. Those fighting for Our Lady have little to fear. Our Lady and Her legions of angels watch over and protect us. The only weapons needed were the rosary, holy water and holy medals. In customary form, the Satanists were led into the event through a side door instead of facing the peaceful, yet fervent protesters at the main entrance. Evil always acts cowardly when confronted by good. Appropriately, the satanic event began with a heavy metal band attempting to feed the frenzy. Why didn’t they play Classical music or Gregorian chant? According to The Oklahoman, the organizer of the event, Mr. James Hale, “told the audience that they would witness a ritual ‘blasphemy’ taken from the Roman Catholic rite of exorcism.” Hale claimed to have sent out some 70 tickets for the event. Only half of those alleged to have tickets actually showed up. He then claimed that some of the ticket holders didn’t show up because of the crowd outside of the building. How did they know about the crowd if they didn’t show up, perhaps the rosaries scared them off. Who says that protests are not effective? Imagine if that square had been filled with protesters, probably no one would have had the courage to attend even by way of the back door. Every age group was represented by those who oppose rights for evil. Evil advances only when the good fails to stand up to it. The square should have been filled with outraged Catholics. Actually, hundreds of thousands of Catholic should have expressed their outrage at the announcement of a public satanic ceremony. If that had happened it is plausible that the event would have been cancelled. As often happens the victories of the Church are left to the few who love Our Lord and Our Lady more than anything. Such describes the faithful who participated in the rally of reparation. Blessed be the happy few who stood with Her that night, because in reality, Our Lady defeated Satan and his minions long ago. We pray for the final victory and triumph of the Immaculate Heart when the Catholic multitudes will indeed stand up en masse for the rights of God. A cackle, laced with hatred and lacking in conviction, was muttered upon departure. As some of the protesters were leaving, three satanists walked by and shouted, “long live Satan.” A protester loudly proclaimed, “Ipsa Conteret” from the book of Genesis, which means, “She shall crush.” The satanists attempted to repeat their cry, and each time the protestor repeated the same. Finally, one of the satanists asked what does Ipsa Conteret mean. When she was told, they all became silent and continued walking down the street. When confronted with truth, the evil has nothing to say.

Comedy Central Mocks Jesus

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) is urging Comedy Central to cancel the production of a new cartoon series called JC that mocks Our Lord Jesus Christ. According to press reports, Comedy Central writers are describing the new series JC as “a playful take on religion and society with a sprinkle of dumb.”

For example, God the Father is shown as someone who is lazy, plays video games and neglects his son. In turn, Jesus is distant from his powerful and lazy father, and tries to become a regular guy in New York City.

Since final approval at Comedy Central for JC is still pending, please:

Send your instant e-protest today

The Blatant Double Standard
Time and time again, Comedy Central has censored images of Muhammad on its program South Park. Yet they allow Our Lord Jesus Christ to be mocked and insulted without scruples. For example, Comedy Central ran “Sacrilicious Sunday,” a series of shows highly offensive to Catholics.

Take Peaceful Action

Comedy Central
Mr. Doug Herzog, CEO
Email: doug.herzog@comedycentral.com

There is Nothing Fabulous About Blasphemy, Protest Now!

It is called “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told” and it is a play that will show at the City Theatre in Austin, Texas from June 10-July 4. The title, however, is deceitful since there is nothing fabulous about this story which portrays the Mother of God as a lesbian.

In face of this outrage, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property and its America Needs Fatima campaign are sending email protests to the theater asking for the show’s cancellation.


Send your e-protest message to the Austin City Theatre.


Press reports say “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told” refers to Our Lady as a lesbian. It presents a homosexual version of the Old Testament, with scenes of “Adam and Steve” in full frontal nudity. According to The New York Times, the playwright himself is a homosexual, and this is how he describes his play:

“I wanted the Garden of Eden in Central Park, and Mary as a lesbian mother, which would certainly help me comprehend immaculate conception.” (The New York Times, 12/6/98)

Such a distortion of the Immaculate Conception and other Catholic belief cannot go unopposed. In its call for protest, the American TFP notes that protests can be very effective. Similar protests have led to the cancelations of the play “Corpus Christi” play at two theaters. Also, Planned Parenthood was deleted from the websites of two Catholic universities due to TFP Student Action protests.

These protests only work however, if thousands join in and send the message to cancel this insult to Our Lady now!


Please send your e-protest message now.