The Spanish humorist Anne Lindane performed in the Saint Laurent d’Arbrats church, in Arbrats-Sullègue (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), last Sunday as part of the Euskal Herria Zuzenean festival. Faced with 200 people, the 36 -year -old actress shouted “God died!” Standing on the altar, mimicking a gesture of masturbation using a crucifix. An improvised entry on the scene which scandalized the local religious community and gave rise to the opening of an investigation by the Bayonne prosecution.
The indignant diocese
As indicated Southwestthe video posted by the artist on social networks first generated a lively controversy in Spain. The Spanish Foundation of Christian lawyers recalled, by the voice of its president Polonia Castellanos, that this gesture would have been considered as an offense of offense to religious feelings in the country. She thus indicated that she “initiated actions against those responsible”.
In France, beyond social networks, Mgr Marc Aillet, bishop of the diocese of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron, who reacted to the case via a press release published on Wednesday. He denounces “particularly obscene” gestures and “violently anti -Christian” words which are, in the eyes of the Church, a “sacrilege”. As a result, he announced the holding of a repair mass in the building on July 8.
An open investigation
For his part, the public prosecutor of Bayonne, Jérôme Bourrier, announced that the prosecution was self-saisi and that an investigation for “sexual exhibition, degradations and provocation to hatred because of religion” had been opened. It will be led by the local gendarmerie.
The mayor of Arbrats-Sullègue, Savior Bacho, and the organizers of the EHZ festival met with the representatives of the parish. They have not expressed themselves for the moment. The national rally and Valérie Castrec, elected in Anglet, spoke, the last claiming that “freedom of expression stops where the attack on dignity begins”, according to the Basque Country.
The actress justifies herself
As for the artist from Bilbao, she first assured that she had acted by being possessed by the devil. She then highlighted many arguments, adding that her entry on stage was improvised and only lasted a few seconds. The actress said that the place of worship had been made available to this show intended for adults, that she did not know that she would play in the church, and especially that it was an artistic fiction denouncing an institution of power responsible for many abuses. She thus invoked freedom of expression and said she was targeted by death threats and rape calls.
