Naked passion of Christ calendar shocks Mallorcan Catholics

A Catholic youth group has shocked its religious superiors in Mallorca by producing a calendar that features a nude version of the passion of Christ.

The wrath of the bishop of Mallorca has fallen on the Davallament youth group from the Spanish island's town of Sant Joan after they decided to make the stripped-down version of the Easter week story to raise funds.

The calendar features a semi-naked trio of young men raising the cross on which Jesus will be crucified and a Last Supper whose protagonists wear only crotch-hugging underwear. In other shots the protagonists are entirely naked, covering their genitalia with plumed roman helmets (above).

"It is a daring and original idea that emerged because we are young and wanted to do something new," a group member, Antoni Company, told Ultima Hora newspaper.

The bishopric of Mallorca, however, has criticised them for shocking their more traditional elders. "It turns Easter week into something banal," the bishopric said in a stern written admonition. "It does not respect Christian symbols and is insensitive to Catholic feelings."

The calendar marks the 20th anniversary of the Davallament Youth Association, one of whose principal tasks is to act out the passion of Christ in a fully-clothed version every Easter.

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