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Our Lady of Guadalupe Insulted
This Isn't Just Any Blasphemy!
Just when blasphemy is withdrawn from one place, it rears
its ugly head in another. This time in New Mexico.
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family
and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima affiliate campaign had just
finished a successful rally of reparation and protest at the Brooklyn Museum
of Art. The controversy centered around two portrayals of Jesus Christ that
were finally taken off display. Press reports described them as a photo of
a nude woman standing in Jesus' place at the Last Supper and another of a
topless woman on a cross.
Now, the American TFP and America Needs Fatima's anti-blasphemy
network is opposing another offense.
There is no such thing as an ordinary blasphemy since all
blasphemy is by definition an extremely serious offense against God.
However, Alma Lopez's "Our Lady" exhibit at the
Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico goes to new extremes.
Press reports describe the exhibit as a computer collage portraying a bikini-clad
Virgin of Guadalupe, held aloft by a topless woman-angel.
A Special Devotion to Our Lady
Our Lady of Guadalupe is full of significance. The word Guadalupe
was actually a Spanish mistranslation of the local Aztec dialect word, Coatlaxopeuh,
which means "one who crushes the serpents." Within six years of
this apparition, six million Aztecs had converted to Catholicism. The cloth
where Our Lady's image appears, shows her as the God-bearer - she is pregnant
with her Divine Son.
What makes this exhibit especially offensive is the fact
that the Virgin of Guadalupe is officially the Patroness of all the Americas.
She is the powerful intercessor cherished and loved by the Mexican people.
Since she is shown as a mother with child, she is also considered protector
of the unborn.
"This isn't just any blasphemy," claims Mr. Robert
Ritchie, campaign coordinator. "It targets Our Lady in an invocation
that is so dear to Catholics, Americans, and those who fight abortion. The
'artist' could not have picked a more cherished image of Our Lady to deform."
Need to Oppose Blasphemy
For these very reasons, the TFP's anti-blasphemy network
is mounting a peaceful and legal campaign to oppose this latest exhibit called
Cyber Arte: Where Tradition Meets Technology, where the offensive portrayal
appears. As always, all violence is strictly forbidden in this protest.
Protesting is the only way to prevent more blasphemy. Just
because this exhibit follows closely behind the Brooklyn exhibit is no reason
to remain silent. In fact, public pressure recently forced officials at Kennedy
airport to cover an unclothed Christ painted on a mural there. Email protests
to Yahoo! led that company to abandon plans to market pornography directly
on its search engine site.
Grassroots action can be extremely effective and Catholics
- especially those devoted to the Blessed Mother - must come to her defense
when so vilely attacked. Many local faithful have already staged protests
at the museum in Santa Fe and voiced their objections. Now is the time to
join with them.
To remain silent and indifferent only encourages the promoters
of blasphemy to shamefully peddle their agenda. The American TFP campaign
is well underway and includes Enough is Enough! protest postcard fliers, email
protests, and a future rally of public reparation. Campaign participants are
also encouraged to download a true picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe and spread
this image to family and friends.
Be a part of this historic campaign today!
Here is what you can do!
1. Pray for the success of this campaign.
2. To download a true picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, click here.
3. To order your FREE Enough is Enough! protest fliers, click here.
4. Resend this special email message to your family and friends.
5. Send a special INSTANT email message to the Museum of International Folk
Art by clicking here.
6. Write, fax or call the museum at: The Museum of International Folk Art,
P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-2087. Phone: (505) 476-1200, Fax:(505)
476-1300.E-mail: info@moifa.org
Please help us now with your donation! To send by mail, click
here
To Donate online, click here.
"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any
other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not
under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold?
What else do you wish?" (Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)