Brutal assault on the Virgin Mary and all that is good, Catholic and holy cancelled

Havelange Cultural Centre schedules a provocative "Madonna"... then cancels it after receiving threats!

This free performance was scheduled for March 27 in Havelange

On March 27, the Havelange Cultural Centre planned to host a performance entitled "Madonna (non) grata." A work that gleefully appropriates the figure of the Virgin Mary. On March 13, CathoBel published a highly critical Opinion piece signed by a spokesperson for offended Catholics. At the same time, after receiving threats, the cultural centre announced the cancellation of the performance.

"A creation at the crossroads of the divine and the human; virgin and whore, sacred and decaying": this is how the cultural centre presented the show "Madonna (non) grata," scheduled for March 27th. The show's premise? "Locked away in her altar for an eternity, she is called the morning star, the immaculate conception, a queen conceived without original sin. But her altar is now a temple of mold. Today, Mary lives alone, alongside Dagobert, a cadi who chants Marian prayers all day long. She is sick, her flesh is rotting, but she is immortal. It is in this solitary existence, both cursed and divine, that this soul, imposed as an icon, reinvents her body and her story. She becomes what was never meant for her: a fallen virgin, the embodiment of the decomposed sacred."

"The impossibility of a calm dialogue"

In recent days, the upcoming performance has sparked considerable reaction, particularly within the Catholic community. The cultural centre, for its part, cites more serious incidents of harassment, threats, and even xenophobic remarks. It is not ruling out legal action. It is in this context that it announced this Friday morning that the C.A.L.M.A. Company, which produced the show, had decided to cancel its appearance:

"Faced with intolerance and intimidation, the radical nature of some of the remarks made, and the impossibility of engaging in a calm dialogue with its detractors on this basis, the C.A.L.M.A. Company has decided to cancel its appearance in Havelange."

"Not an attack on the Catholic religion at all"

A performer

The cultural centre also insists that neither the artists nor its management intended to offend anyone.

"We regret that the image and words chosen to present the project in development may have offended some people. This was not our intention, nor that of the artists. The performance is in no way an attack on the Catholic religion, the clergy, or believers. It appropriates, reinterprets, and hybridizes an iconic image, that of the Madonna, long present in pop and secular culture; it transforms her into a fictional character in order to question the place of women and shed light on the contradictory demands our society places on them."

It was also on Friday morning that, on the CathoBel website, Marguerite-Marie Verbeke, representing a group of shocked Catholics, took the precaution of signing a petition denouncing the performance. Here is the text, written before the show's cancellation.

The text of the petition

According to the description, the aim is to represent "a creature on the border between the divine and the human; virgin and ***, sacred and decaying." This gives you an idea of ​​the tone!

Unfortunately, it will not be an isolated event, but "a work-in-progress (…) on their next creation." The project had already been presented at the Liège Festival in September 2025. Where will it end?

Faced with this scandal, we can feel helpless. Are Catholics, rightly indignant, condemned to remain passive? We will attempt to offer some points for reflection on this subject.

1. Can a society that claims to respect all differences allow shows that offend Catholics and, above all, gratuitously defame the Virgin Mary?

If we allow any performance attacking the Catholic faith and religion in the name of freedom of expression, if we recognize a right to blasphemy, isn't this legally recognizing the freedom to offend a person, or a group of people, directly in their beliefs about God? But also the right to damage someone's reputation, in this case that of the Virgin Mary, a historical figure, without any basis whatsoever?

2. What does this performance contribute, if not greater disarray, to a society adrift? We cannot deny the unease that pervades society, a difficulty in finding meaning in life. The number of suicides illustrates this, to mention just one phenomenon among many. What is the purpose of such a performance?

Hatred is above all destructive and prevents constructive reflection. Is this the kind of society we want for our children?

Furthermore, if we allow this great feminine figure, who is at the heart of our Christian civilization, to be tarnished, what will remain of the great traditions that have shaped our nation?

3. Would a Catholic allow the honor of his Heavenly Mother, the Mother of God, to be dishonored? Everyone has a very special love and respect for their earthly mother. Why should it not be the same for our Heavenly Mother? Would we not be ungrateful to allow this name, so dear to us, to be sullied and vilified without expressing our disapproval?

Will we allow this Immaculate Heart, overflowing with charity, to receive these insults without seeking to console it? Let us allow our ears and our hearts to meditate on the words of Our Lady to Sister Lucia:

“See, my daughter, my Heart surrounded by thorns that ungrateful men pierce me at every moment with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me and say that all those who, for five months, on the first Saturday, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, recite a rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, in a spirit of reparation, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.” (December 10, 1925, in Pontevedra).

But this is not merely an insult to a real person, to someone dear to us, but above all to a holy person, the Mother of God. The filmmakers, intending to present this "Madonna" as "she was never meant to be: a fallen virgin, the embodiment of the sacred in decay," clearly insult God and his mother, and is therefore undeniably blasphemous. Can Ctholics forget that "God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7)?

Thus, after these few points for reflection...

...we extend an invitation:

To pray and make reparation for all these offenses; to question those around us through reflections on religious, but also human and societal issues; to take concrete action, to the best of our ability, by writing in large numbers to express our indignation to those responsible for these blasphemous shows. All this in a spirit of charity that forbids harming one's neighbor, but commands us to love God and therefore to defend him. It may seem like a small thing, but these actions, carried out together by many, can truly make a difference!

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