Another day, another religious controversy for Madonna. This time, church officials in Bulgaria are calling on followers to boycott the singer’s Saturday night concert in the capital city, Sofia, according to E! News. Her sin? The show coincides with one of Orthodox Christianity’s holy days, when they mark the beheading of Saint John the Baptist by fasting.
Where does this latest controversy fall on her resume of scandals? Let’s check out the Madonna Meter.
Bad girl
The passion of Madonna
She incurred the wrath of Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders in Rome in 2006. During her Confessions tour, a mock-crucifixion (left) was part of her show. “Doing it in the cradle of Christianity comes close to blasphemy,” said Father Manfredo Leone of Rome’s Santa Maria Liberatice church of the show’s proximity to the Vatican, E! News reported at the time. But wait, there’s more! German prosecutors also threatened prison time for her provocative performance.
Borderline
‘Who’s That Girl’
Backlash to this 1987 tour came from high above — the pope. She dedicated the song “Papa Don’t Preach” to him, and Pope John Paul II (left) urged Italian fans to boycott her, according to the New York Daily News.
‘Like A Prayer’
This single’s video (above) depicted burning crosses, Madonna with stigmata and overt sexual implications. Two bishops were split on the video’s content, with one calling it “a classic example of desacralization” and another calling it “a work of art which is also a morality tale,” according to a 1989 Tribune article. Overall it was a hit: Madonna won an MTV Viewer’s Choice Award for the video.
(Im)material girl
Bulgaria boycott
Compared with her other stunts, this falls really low on the list. It looks like just a coincidence to us.
