SW News: The Catholic bishops in Argentina have slammed the blasphemous act that took place during the performance of an 18th-century opera in the capital Buenos Aires. During the recent performance of Handel’s ‘Theodora’ in the Teatro Colon opera house, the lead actress read out texts of a feminist who is famous for queer ideology. The text contained profanities against the Virgin Mary and priests.

Hitting out against the blasphemy during the opera directed by Alejandro Tantanian, the bishops’ conference said in a statement released during this weekend that they “blasphemed the faith and religiosity with words that cannot be accepted referring to the Virgin Mary.”

These attacks “have been made no less than in the Colón Theater, icon of the culture of the City of Buenos Aires and of our homeland, where we Argentines delight ourselves with the art and music of the world; there expressions were said that outrage the sensitivity of a very important portion of our people, who beyond their religious belief, always respect the Virgin,” they said in the statement.

The opera is about the life of a Roman martyr of the fourth century who was killed for the faith in Egypt during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. While the performance was going at the Teatro Colon, which is said to be one of the ten best opera houses in the world, actress Mercedes Moran read out texts of Marcella Althaus Reid, a feminist and a Protestant.

A Catholic priest who attended the opera published the blasphemies that were uttered there in a letter to the editor published by the La Nacion daily. Fr Eduardo Perez said in his letter that he was “hurt as a priest, as a Christian and as a man of culture and a citizen as well, who pays taxes and buys tickets with difficulty.”

In the nation, 62 per cent of the population say they are Catholics although the number of Massgoers is on the decline. However, they are much devoted to the Virgin Mary at was evident last week when thousands of young people walked 40 miles from Buenos Aires to Lujan to venerate the small terracotta statue of Our Lady, who is the patroness of the country. In their statement, the bishops cited the mass participation of people in the pilgrimage saying they came after a year full of hardships and anguish with their hearts pierced by the pain of having lost loved ones.

They also appealed to the authorities to make sure society remains healthy and democratic so that all religions and their symbols are respected.