Offended Filipino Catholics turn to internet to assail CCP over ‘penis art’

Students look at artworks, which include a poster of Jesus Christ with a wooden penis glued to his face, at an art exhibit in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. AFP

MANILA, Philippines—Slighted Filipino Catholics are furious over a “penis art” exhibition and they turned to the internet to assail the Cultural Center of the Philippines for fomenting “blasphemy” and “religious bigotry” by hosting the exhibit.

“Blasphemy!!!” wrote Antonio Recososa, reacting to the ‘Blasphemous’ Philippine art riles Catholics story published on INQUIRER.net.

One of the  artworks, an installation piece by artist Mideo Cruz, shows a poster of the image of Jesus Christ with a penis-shaped ashtray glued to His face.

Derp Trollingderp commented: “The only thing I could say is… This is offensive and tasteless.”

“Pure rubbish, the artists who (made this)  ‘art’ is sick, mentally, morally, (never mind spiritually) and socially maladjusted,” said Max. “I think, the artist doesn’t believe in Christ as a divine being, and they have lots of fun poking jokes to the believers. @#$!&&^%(*&) you dirty, gutter artist.”

CCP president Emily Abrera defended the work on Wednesday, saying it was part of the artist’s duty to challenge prevailing beliefs.

“We see nothing wrong with it. It is part of our culture to question, to seek answers, to look behind the surface and try to dig out what our real values are,” she said.

Marore protested: “you call this art??? freedom of expression??? Mr. Cruz and Ms. Abrera there are more subtle ways to question other’s beliefs. freedom is not absolute, both of you should know that … may GOD have mercy on your souls, including your children’s…..”

For Harold Bautista, the exhibit is an affront to the people’s beliefs.

“Art should not be made an excuse to launch an attack on a group of people whose only crime is they are peacefully practicing their religious beliefs,” he said.

“While the world works toward achieving religious harmony through interfaith dialogs, promoting political correctness in everything to foster respect for other people’s beliefs, ideologies, sexualities, here in the country we have the publicly-funded Cultural Center of the Philippines nurturing animosity and bigotry, all ‘in the name of culture and arts’,” he said.

Juan dela Cruz appeals: “Can we just call it ‘art’ in whatever form it is, and agree that we may or may not have the same appreciation of it like we do in most movies, books and music?”

Ricardo Reyes believes that art sometimes needs “to shock people to convey a strong statement.”

“But this freedom to express stops when it violates the rights and sensibilities of another group,” he said.

PaulGr questioned Cruz’s artistry. “This is no longer art but an abuse of art. No true artists in their right mind would put any value to this. This is purely shock for the sake of shocking people. It is both disgusting and distasteful,” he said.

“Art is definitely overrated, in my opinion.  What has the artist had to say now?  That this is his interpretation of Pepe Smith hitting a bong shaped phallus? Well, excuse me while I kiss the sky!!!” alice_in_chains said.

Bishops and lay groups have demanded the CCP close the exhibit on grounds it is blasphemous, immoral, illegal and offends the country’s Catholic majority.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said on its website that Christian lay groups were also preparing a lawsuit. With Agence France-Presse