The Archbishop of Toledo in Spain has apologized to offended Roman Catholics for shooting a music video in the cathedral. The clip shows a man and a woman rubbing their hips against each other in the 13th-century church.
In the music video for the song ateo (Spanish for atheist) Spanish rapper C. Tangana and Argentine singer Nathy Peluso sensually dance with each other. They are being watched from a distance, including by a priest. Later in the video, the singer can be seen naked, with her genitals blurred, while holding the rapper’s severed head.
The rapper also pulls at her hair. That is a reference to one of the paintings in the cathedral. It shows a devil pulling a woman’s hair to prevent her from achieving salvation. The painting is used as a background in the video.
Watch the video clip here:
Within hours of the clip’s release, complaints were poured in to church leaders. People wondered why a spicy video was shot in one of Spain’s most famous churches. Some priests say the video “seriously offends God”.
In a statement, the archbishop now says he is “deeply sorry” for what happened. He said he was not aware of the project, the content and the end result. In the future, he says, the archdiocese will be more strict “to ensure that something similar doesn’t happen again”.
‘Song of Repentance’
The dean of the diocese had given permission for the recordings. He defended that by stating that the song presents “the story of a conversion through human love.” He quoted the chorus of the song: “I was an atheist, but now I believe, because a miracle like you must have come down from heaven.”
The dean admitted that the video contains “provocative imagery” but said it does not offend anyone’s faith. It could even help bring back those who had drifted away from the church, he said. “We are sorry that some people may have been upset. We ask forgiveness for hurting their feelings. The aim has always been to support a dialogue with contemporary culture, always with respect for the faith of the Church.”