Madonna offends religious leaders in Rome with tour stunt

No stranger to inciting controversy, Madonna is facing criticism from religious leaders in Rome for planning to perform a mock-crucifixion at her upcoming show Sunday.

The stunt, which involves the Material Girl being suspended on a cross wearing a fake crown of thorns, has raised protests from Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.

"Being raised on a cross with a crown of thorns like a modern Christ is absurd," Father Manfredo Leone of Santa Maria Liberatice church told Reuters. "Doing it in the cradle of Christianity comes close to blasphemy."

"I think her idea is in the worst taste and she'd do better to go home," said Mario Scialoja, head of Italy's Muslim League.

Riccardo Pacifici, a spokesman for the Roman Jewish community, said Madonna should pull the act from her performance.

However, the singer defends the stunt as a means of raising awareness for AIDS charities. Poverty images and statistics of AIDS orphans will be displayed on a screen behind the crucified Madonna.

Meanwhile, Madonna also intends to help orphans in Malawi by raising at least $3 million for a care center and improved aid programs.

"For the last few years - now that I have children and now that I have what I consider to be a better perspective on life - I have felt responsible for the children of the world," she recently told Time magazine. "I've been doing bits and bobs about it and I suppose I was looking for a big, big project I could sink my teeth into."

Madonna's Rome concert will air as a primetime special titled "Live to Tell" in November on NBC.