By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

Because of her long history of religious provocation, Catholics are rallying across the country to convince the NFL not to feature Madonna during Super Bowl XLVI.

According to SB Nation, “sources close to the event” say Madonna is the choice for half-time  entertainment at the next Super Bowl game. She was expected to appear in 1998 and again in 2000 but backed out each time. Hopefully, with enough negative viewer feedback, the NFL will decide not to offend its audience with a star whose raunchy on-stage antics frequently include religious imagery that is offensive to Christians.

“The NFL would do well to drop any plans it may have about inviting Madonna to perform during the Super Bowl,” said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

“For decades, Madonna has blatantly offended Christians, especially Catholics. The offensive lyrics, lewd behavior and misappropriation of sacred symbols are reason enough not to have her perform.”

Even worse, “she has repeatedly mocked the heart and soul of Christianity: Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, the Eucharist and the Crucifixion,” he says.

Madonna has long been known for producing videos that use Catholic imagery in a highly sexualized manner. The singer, who is more closely related to the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah than her native Catholicism, also offended thousands with her 2006 “Confessions” tour in which she performed while suspended on a cross and wearing a crown of thorns.

Donohue questions why the NFL would want to attract controversy after the trouble caused by the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson fiasco during the 2004 game. In fact, shortly after that event, a nervous NFL refused to allow ‘N Sync’s JC Chasez to sing a song with sexually suggestive lyrics during the halftime of the Pro Bowl game. They eventually decided the singer and his act were inappropriate and cancelled his invitation.

Donohue believes the League would be wise to continue this more cautious precedent by declining to invite a more controversial performer than Chasez to a much more important game than the Pro Bowl.

“Chasez may be known for some dicey lyrics, but he is chopped meat compared to Madonna,” Donohue writes. “If JC Chasez is unacceptable to the NFL to perform during halftime at one of its classic games, Madonna must be deemed unacceptable to perform at the Super Bowl.”

When it comes to cultural sensitivities, Donohue said the National Football League “cannot expect Catholics to be treated any different” than other groups: “There is only one playbook in this game.”

Voice your concerns to Brian McCarthy, VP of Corporate Communications for the NFL at: Brian.McCarthy@nfl.com

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