Benetton decides to remove the image of the Pope kissing a magnet after protests

The Italian textile group Benetton announced today that it will withdraw "immediately" photomontage with the image of Pope Benedict XVI kissing on the mouth to the Imam of the mosque at Al - Azhar in Cairo, Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb, used in its latest advertising campaign.

Through a communique, the signing of fashion, known for their controversial advertising campaigns, regretted that the use of the image of the Pontiff has injured the sensitivity of the Holy See and the Catholic faithful, who have demanded that it be withdrawn after appearing in Rome yesterday, even a few metres from the Vatican.

"Insist on the point of this campaign is exclusively, fight the culture of hatred in any form", reads the statement.

"Regret therefore that the use of the image of the Pope and the magnet has hurt the sensibility of the faithful." "Confirmed our feeling, we have decided with immediate effect withdraw this image in any publication" u000aconcludes.

The announcement of the decision of Benetton arrives minutes after the spokesman for the Holy See, Federico Lombardi, reported in a note that the Vatican secretariat of State was studying possible measures to take "before the competent authorities" to ensure a fair custody of respect to the figure of the Pope.

"It's a serious lack of respect for the Pope, in an affront to the feelings of the faithful, a demonstration clearly how in the field of advertising is can violating the rules Elementary respect people to attract attention through provocation", says Lombardi in the text.

The new advertising campaign for Benetton bears the title "Unhate" (which could be translated "against hate"), name that adopts a foundation created to combat the culture of hatred, according to leaders of the textile group.

Pope Benedict XVI is not the only one that appears in the caption, where u000aIt can also see, among others, the American President, Barack Obama, Kiss with the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and the French Head of State, Nicolas Sarkozy, do the same with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Also appear in the advertising campaign of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, kissing on the mouth with the President of the Palestinian national authority Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas.

Campaign was presented today in Paris by the Executive Vice-President of Benetton, Alessandro Benetton, who pointed out that the fact that portrayed international leaders is only "a simplification to get the message".

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