Play, enacted 25 years ago in India, is called off after religious groups object

The play 'Agnes of God', about an American nun who gives birth to a dead child and claims it is the result of a virgin conception has been made into a film and has played all over the world. It was performed in Mumbai two decades ago. But now it has run afoul of the Church and of self-proclaimed activists and its first performance on Monday is in jeopardy.

The highest Catholic body of the western region -- the Archdiocese -- has issued a strong statement against the play and the manner in which it was advertised -- 'The screaming headlines and life-size cut outs of religious sisters seem to portray them as characters lacking in integrity and guilty of cover-up of infanticide. Such a depiction will lower the esteem for nuns in the eyes of children to whom nuns impart knowledge and human values. This is totally unfair to our very many Religious Sisters who are working selflessly with dedication and generosity. We deplore this.' At the same time, it says it does not clamour for in bans of literary works.

The Catholics Bishop's Conference however has dashed off letters to the Home Minister Rajnath Singh asking for a ban since it offends the religious sentiments of the community.