Nude Chocolate Jesus Angers Catholic League
Candy Statue Created Anatomically Correct

POSTED: 8:46 pm EDT March 29, 2007

NEW YORK -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is calling for a boycott of a New York City hotel that plans to display a chocolate sculpture of a naked Jesus during Holy Week.

Sculptor Cosimo Cavallaro calls his Jesus figure "My Sweet Lord," and said viewers will be invited to lick it and eat it before it's taken down on Easter Sunday.

A press release advertising the sculpture to be displayed starting Monday at the Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel describes it as "Jesus, the 485,460-calorie Messiah."

Catholic League spokeswoman Kiera McCaffrey said that no one would dare display a naked chocolate Muhammad during Ramadan, but Christians apparently are fair game.

The Lab Gallery's artistic director said he's shocked at the outcry and is reconsidering whether to go ahead with the display, because they're "not in the business of offending people."