A prayer rally was held on December 8th in front of the Vienna Künstlerhaus Vereinigung to protest an exhibition titled “Du sollst dir ein Bild machen.” Organizers, including the Austrian Society for the Protection of Tradition, Family, and Private Property (TFP), deemed the show blasphemous due to controversial pieces like a crucified frog and a transgender depiction of the Virgin Mary. Protesters carried placards demanding an end to blasphemy and the Austrian TFP initiated an international online petition for the exhibition's closure. The Künstlerhaus management defended the exhibition, citing constitutionally protected freedom of art in Austria as justification against calls for its closure.
3 days ago
On December 8, 2025, coinciding with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a rosary prayer rally protested the exhibition "Du sollst dir ein Bild machen" ("You shall make yourself an image") at Vienna's Künstlerhaus Vereinigung.1 2 3
Organized by the Austrian Society for the Protection of Tradition, Family, and Private Property (TFP), participants carried placards demanding an end to blasphemy.1 2 3
The exhibition features a crucified green frog mocking Christ, a bearded man as the transgender Virgin Mary holding a child, and a naked parody of Michelangelo's Pietà.1 2 3
Protesters described these as direct attacks on core Catholic beliefs.1 2 3
TFP launched an online petition for the exhibition's immediate closure, gaining signatures from Austria and abroad, backed by American TFP.1 2 3
A video of the rally highlights the public demonstration.1 2 3
Künstlerhaus leaders Günther Oberhollenzer and Tanja Prušnik rejected closure demands, citing Austria's constitutional protection of artistic freedom.1 2 3
They stated the works were not meant to offend, noting provocation is subjective, and many visitors—including Christians and Catholic clergy—found it impressive, sparking profound discussions.1 2 3
Innsbruck Bishop Hermann Glettler praised the show as reflecting "the endless struggle to do justice to the mystery of God in a wounded world," specifically referencing the crucified frog.1 2 3
The crucified frog artwork sparked controversy in 2008 at a Bolzano, Italy, exhibition.1 2 3
Pope Benedict XVI wrote that it offended those viewing the cross as a symbol of salvation, yet the exhibit remained on display—now revived in Vienna.1 2 3
Assess Catholic doctrine on blasphemy versus artistic freedom
Catholic doctrine recognizes the profound value of artistic freedom as a human expression that can reveal divine truth and beauty, yet it firmly subordinates this freedom to the moral order, truth, and reverence for God, rejecting any "license" that promotes falsehood, vice, or irreverence akin to blasphemy. Papal teachings emphasize that genuine freedom—whether in speech, art, or religion—is intrinsically linked to truth, and public authority has a duty to restrain excesses that corrupt morals or society, ensuring art serves the common good rather than undermining it. This balance reflects a Christological vision where sacred images continue the Incarnation's revelation, while cautioning against unbridled expression that obscures sacred realities.
At the heart of Catholic teaching on freedom lies a distinction between authentic liberty, ordered to truth and virtue, and pernicious license that leads to error and moral ruin. Pope Leo XIII articulates this in Libertas, insisting that "right is a moral power" granted by nature not "indifferently to truth and falsehood, to justice and injustice." Men have the right to propagate what is "true and honorable," but "lying opinions, than which no mental plague is greater, and vices which corrupt the heart and moral life should be diligently repressed by public authority." This applies directly to artistic endeavors: unbridled speech or imagery that flatters passions or deceives risks "the oppression of the untutored multitude," demanding legal restraint to protect liberty itself, as "license will gain what liberty loses."
This framework undergirds assessments of blasphemy—understood as grave irreverence toward God or sacred things—which cannot claim shelter under artistic freedom if it disseminates moral poison. Leo XIII's Thomistic roots highlight how modern popes like John Paul II and Benedict XVI echo this: true freedom refuses bondage to truth only to fall into "arbitrariness and end up submitting itself to the vilest of passions." Blasphemous art, by mocking divine realities, exemplifies such false freedom, contrasting with "freedom for excellence" that aligns with God's wisdom.
Catholic doctrine on religious and expressive freedom, evolving yet consistent, affirms the right to seek truth but conditions it on public order and the common good. Echoing St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church defends conscience in pursuing God, yet this "cannot run counter to the order of society" and must observe "just requirements of public order." Dignitatis Humanae (invoked here) protects internal acts of religion and their external expression, but only insofar as they do not disrupt societal harmony rooted in reason's inclination to God.
Popes apply this to art and culture: John Paul II warns against secularism that erases religious signs from public life, upholding "freedom of worship" and the Church's social action, provided it respects state security. Yet, as Leo XIII notes in Immortale Dei, predecessors like Gregory XVI condemned the notion that individuals may "publish [any] views, whatever they may be," or conspire against sacred order, rejecting separation of Church and State that fosters such license. Blasphemy in art, if publicly disruptive, falls under this scrutiny, as the State must defend differences while prioritizing peace through justice. John Paul II stresses that restricting religious freedom "almost inevitably leads to bitter conflict," but integration demands "solidarity and freedom from discrimination" without superiority claims—implying art must foster unity, not division via sacrilege.
Far from stifling creativity, the Church champions art as a divine calling when it unveils faith's beauty. Benedict XVI views holy images as a "continuation of the divine presentation of salvation through the incarnate Word," the "living Icon of God," captured via "visionary painting." This Christological lens stresses the image's holiness, continuous with God's action, while a liturgical perspective sees sacred art as human signs transmitting Revelation.
Popes actively foster dialogue: Benedict XVI recalls Vatican II's outreach to artists, John Paul II's Letter to Artists, and his own Sistine Chapel address, urging beauty's centrality where "true artists... grasp and understand more profoundly... the beauty proper to the faith." The Pontifical Council for Culture calls the Church art's "advocate and protectress," inviting artists to "renew Christian art" amid cultural banalities, through listening and cooperation. Blasphemous works, however, betray this mission, as art must confront faith "freely and openly" to find "inspiration and content" in it, not oppose it.
Where controversy arises—such as modern claims of "artistic license" for provocative works—Catholic doctrine prioritizes recent teachings affirming ordered freedom while upholding Leo XIII's foundations. No absolute right exists for blasphemy, as it contradicts the Gospel's light on social questions and human dignity. Public authority, guided by natural law, restrains such excesses to safeguard truth's propagation.
In summary, Catholic teaching integrates artistic freedom within the pursuit of truth and beauty, viewing blasphemy not as protected expression but as a moral disorder warranting restraint for the good of souls and society. Artists are called to elevate culture toward God, finding in the Church a partner for genuine creativity.