Vatican City, Nov 17, 2011 / 12:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican will take legal action against Italian clothing company Benetton to prevent the circulation of an ad featuring Pope Benedict XVI kissing a Muslim imam. [Not the picture above. That is Obama and Hugo Chavez, two nut jobs and terrorists.]
The move on Nov. 17 comes a day after Benetton hastily withdrew the image from a new advertising campaign following protests from both religions.
“The Secretariat of State has authorized its lawyers to initiate actions, in Italy and elsewhere, to prevent the circulation, via the mass media and in other ways, of a photomontage used in a Benetton advertising campaign in which the Holy Father appears in a way considered to be harmful, not only to the dignity of the Pope and the Catholic Church, but also to the sensibility of believers,” read the Vatican's Nov. 17 statement. [GO GET THEM!!!]
The image was used as part of a new advertising campaign by Benetton titled “UNHATE” [Understatement or Irony?] which was launched yesterday at a press conference in Paris. It was immediately followed by the unveiling of a new poster campaign at various locations around the globe.
The posters feature various religious and political leaders kissing each other on the mouth including a mock-up of Pope Benedict XVI kissing Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, the Imam of the Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo. [I WILL NOT POST THEM HERE!]
A large banner bearing the image was unfurled from a bridge over the River Tiber in Rome. Within a few hours, however, the image had been withdrawn.
“We are so sorry that the use of the image of the Pope and the Imam has so offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way,” said a spokesman for Benetton Nov. 16. “In confirmation of our feelings we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from every publication.”
The Islamic religious authorities in Rome are also threatening to take legal action against Benetton for defamation. [Just legal action? What legality? Civil or the Sharia? Or their uhm 'tradition'?]
“It is a serious lack of respect for the Pope, an affront to the feelings of the faithful and an evident demonstration of how, in the field of advertising, the most elemental rules of respect for others can be broken in order to attract attention by provocation,” said Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. Nov. 16. [Celdran tactic. Cheap, lowlife!]
Other posters include U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao and the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Benetton is an Italian based fashion company with around 6000 stores in 120 countries. Their main clothing brand, the United Colors of Benetton, has become known in recent decades for the shock value of their publicity stunts.
In 1991, the company ran a poster campaign featuring a young priest in black cassock about to kiss a nun. Catholic groups subsequently failed in legal attempts to have the image removed from over 1300 billboard sites across the United States. [Because the US has become anti-Catholic! When it is done to Catholics it is freedom of expression. Do this to Muslims, homosexuals, Jews, and that is bigotry. Great work USA! Shows your proud Masonic roots!]
Other images used in recent years by Benetton have included a young man dying from AIDS, a bloodied newborn baby with uncut umbilical cord, a colorful mix of condoms, the blood stained uniform of a dead Bosnian soldier and pictures of inmates on death row. [Are they selling clothes?]
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Obviously because Benetton does a Celdran which then obviously makes Benetton a monumental CHEAPO!
Hurting religious sensibilities has its consequences.
So Carlos Celdran, enjoy your freedom while you can.
Your jailmates can't wait for you!
In the meantime, DON'T PATRONIZE BENETTON PRODUCTS!!!
There are other clothing lines who do not engage in this cheap tactics!
And it's also a cheap tactic to attack Carlos Celdran in this manner. Benetton has nothing do to with him and yet you made an unnecessary association. Cheap.
ReplyDeleteTHE CHURCH SHOULD BE TAXED!
ReplyDeleteYEAH! STARTING WITH THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO!
DeleteHuh? What is Benetton? I beleive it is as cheap as those Bench products.
ReplyDeleteYeah, because Carlos Celdran is not a cheap, attention hungry whore.
ReplyDeleteCan't author look beyond the symbols? Love and anti discrimination has been the goal of Benetton.
ReplyDeleteI think that is also a basic tenet of Roman Catholicism. Love.
Also respecting other people's point of view should also be observed being a Catholic. Your blog title is deceiving. NOT ALL PINOY CATHOLICS think like this.
Can't you send the message of love and anti-discrimination without hurting other people?
ReplyDeleteWhat Celdran did at the Manila Cathedral and what Benetton did with the ad are almost copycats. Shock approach to supposedly send a good message across borders.
Bottomline, it was never about the message.
It is just about publicity.
"Can't you send the message of love and anti-discrimination without hurting other people?"
ReplyDelete"Just legal action? What legality? Civil or the Sharia? Or their uhm 'tradition'"
Practice what you preach!
Yeah Dexter Mejia, because you are like Carlos Celdran.
ReplyDeleteOnly perverted homosexuals would love this advertisement.
Why don't you try telling that to the Muslims?
I know some in Quiapo? Want to see me at Quiapo Church and then I could introduce you to them?
Oh yeah you can't come because you are in Australia where homosexual acts are tolerable and acceptable but being Catholic isn't.
Funny how people like you who support the homosexual agenda are the ones being bigoted against the Catholic Church.
As I once challenged your idol, why don't you come over and let's do the same thing to the Muslims, eh?
Ah, so full of hate.
ReplyDeleteIs this what the Catholic teaches us now? to be hateful because a brother has wronged us?
I don't think that's what Jesus would do, The Pinoy Catholic.
graces3886,
ReplyDeleteyour reaction is typical of a die-hard Carlos Celdran fan.
Ask your Tita Carlita if she has has topped bashing the Church.
Before you even start telling us about how we defend our Faith, tell Carlita to start by learning the basics of civility.
Read the Bible.
Christ was very harsh towards the scribes and Pharisees.
The Pharisees and the scribes are nowhere near the garbage of Carlos Celdran.
Tweet him that!