Reflections, Reflections

You may be interested in reading about the female Last Supper ad controversy, which relates to this post in many ways. This case has a significant difference, it does not involve advertising and its magnificent objectives of stuffing jeans down people's throats by tawdrily manipulating their emotional needs.

As Paul from Off the Beaten Track posted:

On Good Friday, after night has fallen on the medieval Umbrian town of Alviano, the crowds flock to the annual spellbinding re-enactment of the Passion of Christ.

But this year's performance has caused controversy - in the depiction of the crucifixion the part of Christ on the cross is to be played by a woman. As The Telegraph reports, the decision to cast a female in the role has been welcomed by the younger members of the town, who see it as representing the universality of Christ's message.

I think the decision to cast a woman as Christ on the cross is admirable, and certainly brave in Italy - the centre of the Roman Catholicism. I hope it introduces a fresh perspective on the traditional Passion story, and prompts those watching to think a little about their faith...

Quote from the Telegraph:

Last week, the mayor, Nazario Sauro Santi, urged Mr Sorbara to "display some humility", arguing that the image of Christ that local people were used to was the "one taught by the Church fathers".

Mr Sorbara remained unmoved by what he called the "dictates of people with a different vision of Christ. The Bible says, 'In Christ, there is no male or female' ," he said.

Mr Sorbara has agreed to attend a meeting in the town hall this week to take part in a "civil discussion", though the event promises to be stormy.

Mr Sorbara, who describes himself as a fervent Catholic, said that he had not meant his casting to be provocative, but had merely been following the scriptures.

The power of a symbol, eh?

I will start by saying that I think the proposal to have a civil discussion is an interesting sign, the desire and attempt at dialogue even when positions are entirely diametrical and feelings are intense is reasonably rare in our world.

I found an article that quotes Mr. Sorbara, and it seems he put in a lot of thought to the matter and why he has chosen to partially represent Christ as a woman. He does has some beautiful thoughts on the matter.

"The dignity of the woman is the purposeful expression of God which she has inherited from her creator," he said. From the Italian article:

Non scambio una figura maschile con una femminile. Non scambio Cristo con una donna», ha spiegato Sorbara all' Ansa. «È solo che trovo nella divinità, proprio nel simbolo della Croce, anche l' altro volto di Cristo, cioè quello femminile, quella parte di creature che formano l' umanità. Tanto più che la Chiesa può annoverare delle martiri che hanno dato la loro vita per la croce, come la grandissima filosofa del '900 suor Teresa Benedetta della croce, al secolo Edith Stein, che nel suo testamento spirituale scrive che chi vuole seguire Cristo non può non accettare la crocifissione, la sofferenza e la morte». Nessuna provocazione, quindi, per il regista, che non pensa, inoltre a reconditi significati politici: «Non c' è una motivazione politica dietro alla mia scelta - ha detto - nel senso di volere riscattare la dignità della donna. Perchè secondo me la donna non ha bisogno di riscattare ciò che qualcuno le ha dato e cioè la pari dignità con l' uomo». Piuttosto, a convincerlo, sono stati alcuni passi della Bibbia, come quello in cui si dice: «Non ci sono nel regno di Dio nè giudei nè greci, nè schiavi nè schiave, nè maschi e nè femmine»

My objection is that so many disgusting people have arrogated the function of being spokespersons for women's dignity for ages.

Who is qualified to talk about women's dignity without becoming a hypocrite? Is this Mr. Sorbara against exploiting women through prostitution systems? Is he against demeaning women through pornography? Has he done any theater work dealing with violence against women in Italy? Has he objected to how women are sexually objectified in Italian fashion, cinema, media, theater? Who is he and what values does he have to talk about women's dignity? Is he dignified enough to represent my dignity?

I would not be surprised if the town's young people are in various ways just as hypocritical and demeaning to women's dignity, at the same time that they clamor for a female Christ.

I also think religious symbols are complicated things to mess with. It's not that I would oppose all representations of Christ as female, but depending on how this representation is carried out and the context it is carried out in, it becomes nothing more than the debased Girbaud version of women's lib, a dictatorship of greedy, stupid, disrespectful, frivolous, irresponsible trash of women (and men) making grand speeches about women's "rights and freedoms," and now, dignity.

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