By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Released during the same month that Mexican Catholics embark on the annual pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s December issue of Playboy mocked the Blessed Mother by featuring a nude model wearing a veil with the words “We Love You, Maria” on the cover.
Unless anyone missed the offensive comparison on the cover, another picture inside the magazine features the same nude model standing in front of a stained glass window.
The outcry was swift, and Playboy eventually apologized. In a Reuters report, Chicago-based Playboy Enterprises, Inc. issued a statement saying the Mexican edition of the magazine is published by a licensee, and the company did not approve or endorse the cover.
“While Playboy Mexico never meant for the cover or images to offend anyone, we recognize that it has created offense, and we as well as Playboy Mexico offer our sincerest apologies,” the statement said.
Raul Sayrols, publisher of Playboy Mexico, said in a statement, “The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure. The intent was to reflect a Renaissance-like mood on the cover.”
More than 100,000 copies of the offensive issue were distributed in Mexico.
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