Vatican condemns Benetton 'Unhate' advert

[naitsirk0]

A new Benetton advertising campaign - 'Unhate' - which includes a highly provocative image of the Pope kissing an imam has been condemned as a "grave" act of disrespect by the Vatican.


The Italian clothes company launched a campaign called 'Unhate' in which leaders from opposite sides of the political and religious divide appear to exchange kisses.
One of the pictures, which will be used on billboards, in Benetton shops and on websites worldwide, showed Benedict XVI kissing Ahmed el Tayyeb, an Egyptian imam and a prominent figure in Sunni Islam.
"This shows a grave lack of respect for the Pope, an offence to the feelings of believers, a clear demonstration of how publicity can violate the basic rules of respect for people," said Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's spokesman.
He said the Holy See was considering taking legal action against the fashion company.
The image, which is guaranteed to offend Catholics around the world, briefly appeared on a banner which was draped over the side of a Renaissance stone bridge near the Vatican, in the centre of Rome.

Hanging the banner was part of a series of "guerilla actions", the company said, which included the unveiling in Paris of an image of Nicholas Sarkozy smooching Angela Merkel and the unfurling of a banner outside Milan Cathedral depicting Barack Obama kissing his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao.
"Is it not possible that Benetton could have come up with anything better?" said Luca Borgomeo, the head of the Association of Italian Catholic Television Viewers.
The provocative advertising campaign also included digitally-manipulated images of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, locked in an embrace with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader.
Alessandro Benetton, the deputy head of the company, acknowledged that the advertisements were provocative but said the campaign was designed to give publicity to "an ideal notion of tolerance."
"The central theme is the kiss, the most universal symbol of love, between world political and religious leaders," he said in a statement.
Benetton has become well known for its controversial publicity campaigns, which in the past have included the image of a nun kissing a priest and parents grieving over a man dying of Aids.

Vatican condemns Benetton 'Unhate' advert - Telegraph

Spoiler

is the offensive picture.

[Kuraikage]

Kinky

Also maximum trolling and photoshop skillz

[naitsirk0]

10/10.
Narrow minded sith lords ftw too <3

[jorgiguel]

wow :x

[SilverShadow]

ROFL!!! great idea, so there's more to italians then pasta

[pistachio20]

Originally Posted by SilverShadow

ROFL!!! great idea, so there's more to italians then pasta

Of course there is. You forgot about Pizza


Meh, i could say why they wouldn't like it :<

[naitsirk0]

Indeed, but hating on an anti hate campaign It talks about peace and working together and they're getting pissy over a kiss.
Narrow minded dolts <3

[Urary]

*is offended by this because the Pope is the greatest mahjong player on Earth*

[SynergY]

I mean if you look at it objectively, both religions look down on homosexuality, and two men embracing in a full on kiss like that would cause them to be offended, of course. I have no problem with homosexual people, but I can see how it would be offensive.

The whole time I thought it was going to be a kiss on the cheek lol.

[naitsirk0]

It's like kissing your father, I don't see tongues.
I can see why he'd be angry at it, but it just goes to show how retardedly narrow minded he is.
Ugh that's a given seeing as he's the leader of the Christianity.