Catholic university stages anti-Catholic play
'María Maricón,' the censored play that sparked outrage from Rafael López Aliaga, religious figures, and other politicians
The play was scheduled to be presented at the PUCP's Saliendo de la Caja Festival, but was suspended following a request from religious and political groups. The creator, Gabriel Cárdenas, clarified that the play does not attack Catholicism.
The play's production
The play's production stated that it is in contact with academic authorities to issue a statement regarding the homophobic messages it has received.
The play María Maricón, part of the Saliendo de la Caja Festival, organized by the Specialization in Stage Creation and Production of the Faculty of Performing Arts (FARES) of the Catholic University of Peru, generated a strong controversy in the political and religious spheres this Tuesday, with interventions from the Episcopal Conference itself and its subsequent censorship.
The testimonial piece explores the "conflict between religion and gender through the deconstruction of different Catholic virgins and saints," a perspective that was described as "filth" by Lima Mayor Rafael López Aliaga, the first to raise his voice of protest. In the past, the same mayor attacked the LGBT+ Film Festival for a poster of Santa Rosa de Lima depicting the colors of diversity.
"This is an insult to the Catholic Church and the millions of Catholics in Peru and around the world: What is Catholic about that university? Just the name? They should take it away and call themselves something else... this is the last straw," he wrote on his X account, formerly Twitter.
José Cueto, a legislator for the Popular Renewal Party (PRP), also expressed his rejection of the Ministry of Culture's declaration of the event as a "public cultural spectacle" last December. "It is extremely regrettable that, instead of promoting and strengthening Peru's cultural heritage, it promotes anti-Christian, degrading, and offensive events against the faith held by the majority of Peruvians," he said in a statement.
He also requested that the Cardinal and Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo, speak out on the issue. Hours later, the ministry issued a statement in which it "rejected the content of the directorial resolution issued by the General Directorate of Cultural Industries and Arts, which granted the theatrical performance the status of a non-sporting cultural public performance."
María Maricón's production defended its proposal in a conversation with Infobae Perú and explained that it uses "Peruvian folk dances, songs, and religious and popular texts, along with the life of the main performer, to construct an emotional and complex narrative." The Episcopal Conference was quick to intervene and “deeply regretted” that the PUCP endorsed and sponsored a work whose advertising, title, and content “instrumentalize and allude to the image of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, in a derogatory manner that offends the Catholic faith.”
For her part, Congresswoman Patricia Chirinos urged the Municipality of San Isidro, where the PUCP Cultural Center is located, to review the authorizations for the show, which “ridiculs the deepest beliefs of millions of Peruvians.” And Father Luis Gaspar, known for promoting the so-called March for Life, considered its promotion “an act of mockery of the sacred and an attack on the religious sentiments of believers.”
The 2025 edition of Saliendo de la Caja, as every year, was going to bring together innovative proposals from emerging creators in the fields of theater, dance, and music. However, the PUCP decided to suspend it in the face of criticism and expressed its "apologies to the community and public opinion." At the time of writing, groups and activists were protesting in front of the campus for having given in to what they consider "ultraconservative pressure."
The artist clarified that the work does not seek to attack religion, but rather to tell his personal story and experiences in a society he describes as sexist.
Creator's response
In the face of the controversy, Gabriel Cárdenas, creator of the work, defended himself and explained the motivations behind his work. In a message posted on his Instagram account, he recounted how his religious upbringing was marked by the "macho and oppressive norms" of the Church.
He also shared that he was rejected within his religious community because of his sexual orientation: "It was the Catholics themselves who told me I couldn't be Catholic because I had different comments and there couldn't be a gay person in the parish," he said.
The artist clarified that the work does not seek to attack religion, but to tell his personal story and his experiences in a society that he describes as sexist. "I use the virgins and saints to whom I have been or am devoted, and to whom I have great affection and admiration, to support me on stage and to be able to tell my experiences as a homosexual in a macho Lima where I have been discriminated against several times", he commented.
Finally, Cárdenas reflected on the criticism he has received: "These types of comments are what make me think that I was right to distance myself from religion, not from God and the deities I believe in. If Jesus comes back, the first ones he would hit with his cross are all those discriminators and false Catholics", he concluded. The PUCP had no comment at the time of going to press.
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