The following letter, which was not published, was sent to the Toronto Star by the League in response to some photos included with an article about a minor Canadian fringe artist living in Europe. The article (Poking sacred icons draws reaction, Star, Feb. 23) concerned reaction in Madrid to the show “Obscenity” by Bruce La Bruce. Thanks to the League members who alerted us to the article, and wrote letters of their own to the newspaper. Text of the League letter follows:
There may be some merit in a news report about a controversy in Spain caused by a show called “Obscenity”, given that the artist involved is Canadian. However, running some photos from the exhibit is rather insulting to readers, particularly Catholic readers. The mock simulation of Holy Communion, complete with a host on the tongue, is particularly insensitive. The fact that the sacrament is at the centre of Catholic life is well known. You could have safely assumed that the descriptions in the article were quite sufficient for the reader; in fact, you seemed to understand this well back in 2005, when the issue at hand was the “Mohammed cartoons” that you decided not to publish, even though they had caused rioting all over the world and were quite a bit more newsworthy than this comparatively obscure art show. Plainly a double standard is alive and well when it comes to satirical religious images!
