As the Church launches an appeal against the performing of a controversial play, Tanja Radmilo launches a counter appeal in her latest From Croatia with Madness column on April 23, 2017.
Since the Church is trying so hard to convince everybody that the play directed by Oliver Frljić is to be ignored and is obviously dissatisfied with its inclusion in the theatre festival “Marulićevi Dani” in Split, I would like to publish my appeal and express myself on why people should ignore their program.
Dear Church,
You have been showing disrespect for women from the very beginning. Careerwise, women can advance only to the position of Mother Superior and that’s it. In church they exist only to serve the male members of the institution, the same should be reflected at home.
In the Middle Ages, women who dared to think differently were tortured and burned as witches.
In society, you see the role of women as incubators, continually engaged in bear and breed cycles. Women are not supposed to be in command and in control of their own bodies.
One of the distinguished managers in your corporation, Cardinal Puljić, called all women who want to try out men before marriage štracas or ‘old rags;, yet it is normal for men to experiment with sex before marriage. But with whom if not with women? Goats, maybe?
You believe that God created the first woman out of Adam’s rib, you believe that immaculate conception is possible.
You talk about the appropriateness of one theatre play, yet you do not talk about appropriateness when people who are not married, never had and never will have children (officially at leat) lecture us from pulpits about these issues.
You say that your believers were hurt with feelings of sadness and dissapointment, but you do not say that your believers were hurt, sad and disappointed with the fact that such high numbers of young people leave this country because they do not see themselves as a part of it. Who are you going to preach to in a couple of years time?
Your employees have sex with little children, and you think one theatre show is a problem?
