Banning a Chocolate Jesus Has Highlighted Catholicism's Racist Tendencies

Roman Catholic leaders were given an early Easter gift on Friday when it was announced that a controversial exhibit featuring a six foot crucified chocolate Jesus was being discontinued after an onslaught of public criticism. My Sweet Lord, Sculptor Cosimo Cavallaro's interpretation of the holiest event in the Christian faith, was panned by high ranking religious and secular officials as heretic and blasphemous. Calling the piece an affront to believers worldwide Cardinal Egan, head of the New York , and Catholic League President Bill Donahue reacted to the exhibit much the way Pontius Pilate passed judgment on Jesus without any semblance of due process. The decision to shut down the exhibit is another example of grandstanding showcasing the far reaching power of the Catholic Church, power driven in this case by blatant racism.

Lab Gallery creative director Matt Semler wanted to rise above the conservative fray with his vocal support of My Sweet Lord. The art world is one of the few mediums left that relies on open minded, anti-establishment types to breathe life into an increasingly mundane creative world. Unfortunately money and politics speak louder than defiant artists. Two hundred pounds of chocolate in the shape of Christ was deemed too offensive in the eyes of the Catholic elite. Yet the countless claims of miraculous sightings of the Virgin Mary on grilled cheese sandwiches aren't considered crass. I fear it is not unreasonable to say that since grilled cheese doesn't call the race of the Holy Mother into question, it is appropriate for mass harmless fodder.

Worshipping during Catholic Church services is an essential part of life for many Christians but the capitalistic elements of mass can not be ignored; the basket offerings for monetary contributions, men and women dressed in their Sunday best and the gleaming white marble statues of religious icons. It is interesting that although Jesus was of Middle Eastern descent, he is never portrayed as dark skinned. It would be interesting to see how the faithful would react to an olive or mocha Christ. Cardinal Egan and Donahue can get away with casting My Sweet Lord as a mockery being they can simplify it as a publicity stunt in the guise of dessert. The public's fleeting attention span makes this a winning strategy unless, of course, the historical and cultural significance of chocolate are taken into account.

To an artist, chocolate is a perfect substance by which to sculpt. It is full of chronological connotation with its origins dating back thousands of years. It is dense in culture and object shape making it pliable and thick enough to mold. Also, who among us doesn't love chocolate? Children especially have a love affair with the tasty treat. The Catholic Church has endured many scandals of late from Pope Benedict XVI's speech vilifying Islam to the pedophilia among priests. As to the latter, the exhibit featuring a chocolate Jesus could have been a wonderful opportunity for Christian parents to introduce their children to a non-threatening image of a horrific yet beautiful aspect of Christianity. However, thinking outside the theological box is not a strong suit in Roman Catholicism. Until it is, it will be hard to take the concerns of Catholic leaders seriously when their hypocrisy is so glaringly apparent.