‘Friendly Selfie Satan’ Statue Is Pissing Off Catholics in Spain
Satan just can’t catch a break. A new statue depicting a ‘Friendly Satan’ taking a selfie is being protested by Roman Catholics in Spain, with a petition stating the devil looks far too good-natured for public installation.
The Spanish city of Segovia is planning to place the Satan statue 200 meters from a famous Roman-era aqueduct. The Satan statue wears a welcoming smile and holds out a cameraphone to take a selfie at the aqueduct.
Ancient folklore proclaims the devil built the aqueduct himself… in just a single night, no less. The ‘Friendly Satan’ will pay tribute to the historical tale, hopefully attracting tourists to Segovia, but religious residents are fighting back.
“This representation is offensive to Catholics, because it supposes an exaltation of evil, and using the name of God, on what most repulses produces a Catholic, who is the devil,” the petition reads. “In sacred art, the diabolic iconography is inscribed in a doctrinal and ritual framework that guarantees its psychological, moral and spiritual efficacy, in all cases cited the diabolical appearance is repulsive and despicable, not kind and seductive, like that of the "good-natured devil" , without malice "that you have conceived.”
As of this posting, roughly 5,600 people have signed the petition, but a rival group have started their own petition.
“Since the sculpture is nice and a part of the legend of the Aqueduct of Segovia, which does not affect morality, or religion, since it is nothing more than a character of a legend,” reads the rival appeal, which currently has 2,300 signatures.
"It's a sad controversy for me," ‘Friendly Satan’ sculptor José Antonio Abella tells CNN Travel. "Segovia is a very beautiful city, and the vast majority of its people are friendly and calm people. I fear that a few intolerant and backward people could distort the image of this city."
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