PHOTO: Bishops Outraged By Footballer Neymar’s Representation As Crucified Jesus

The Brazilian National Bishops Confederation (CNBB) has criticised a Brazilian sports magazine for publishing a photograph of Neymar being crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ.

Placar, which has become one of the most successful sports publications in Brazil, were using the picture as a metaphor to highlight the criticism the Santos star had been coming under for supposedly diving too often.

The Placar cover, which reads “the Brazilian ace turns scapegoat in a sport where everyone plays dirty”, was inspired by a 1970s issue of Spanish magazine Don Balon, which depicted Johan Cruyff in almost exactly the same way.

In a letter, signed by CNBB president Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis and general secretary Dom Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, the publication has been criticised for “showing disdain towards people’s feelings”.

A statement read: “The Brazilian National Bishops Confederation states that it feels severely outraged with the [photo] montage that is the cover of a sports magazine, where the image of Jesus Christ is seen with the face of a football player.

“We acknowledge freedom of speech as a fundamental principle of our state and [see it as necessary for] democratic co-existence, however, there are known limits for such.

“To ridiculise faith and show disdain towards peoples’ religious feelings by using the disrespectful use of the image of Jesus suggests manipulation and use of editorial resources as a means for commercial ends.

“This is a clear lack of respect that offends the most sacred image for Christians and updates, in a hazardous manner, the well-known resource of gaining attention by provocation.”

An online petition has now been launched against Placar’s use of the image of Neymar as Jesus Christ, which has gained over 7,000 signatures since its manifestation.

1 COMMENT

  1. Who told those men of god so to say dat god is aware of d industry run after his name in d name of church were they held high ofices as ordaind bishops nd feed fat on oferins nd tyte. Very soon dat big plank hangin on pples eyes will fall down as it has alrdy colapsd in europe as pple hav abandond goin to church. No wonder china nd india rejectd d wyte man religion nd embrasd dia traditional religion so strng nd hav to wok hard tday to dominate d world economy while nigerians ar busy buildin churches to pray instd of workin nd now pastors only hav to make a harvest of jet. Any body can reprsnt him self on cross if he likes aftrol pple practic gay in church tday nd church alows it