Published in the March issue of the Italian monthly Studi Cattolici, the cartoon depicts a scene inspired by Dante's Inferno, in which the prophet appears in hell with his body sliced in half.
"Making a joke about Dante putting Mohammed (sp) in hell is a serious error," Opus Dei spokesman Manuel Sanchez Hurtado said in a statement released Saturday (April 15).
Studi Cattolici, or "Catholic Studies," is directed by Cesare Cavalleri, an Opus Dei "numerary," a rank given to members who live in Opus Dei centers and give their salary to the organization. The magazine is also printed by the publishing house that has exclusive rights in
In his statement, Hurtado said Opus Dei was "not responsible" for editorial decisions made by Studi Cattolici. He said an apology was necessary, however, in light of recent violence over the publication of similar cartoons by a Danish newspaper.
He also expressed concern that the presence of Opus Dei members on the magazine's staff had created "confusion." Opus Dei routinely distances itself from the activities of its members, claiming that the organization seeks to "sanctify" professional life rather than supervise it. The organization also refuses to disclose the names of its members, leading many of its critics to accuse the group of secrecy.
The group figures heavily in the novel "The Da Vinci Code," which depicts the group as a conspiratorial force within Roman Catholicism.
In his statement, Hurtado cited the book as an example of disrespect for religion, akin to the Muhammad cartoons.
"The cartoon's publication is further framed by the current debate in many countries regarding the false and unjust depiction of the Christian faith in The Da Vinci Code," he said. "The issue at stake here is how to
make compatible freedom of expression, a free market and respect for religious beliefs."
