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Munich (dpa) - A German cardinal said Friday he has attached a disclaimer to a work of art in an exhibition organized by the Catholic Church because it suggested religions were equal.
Friedrich Wetter, Archbishop of Munich, said he took exception to "Lichtkreuz", a work by artist Christoph Blech, because it comprised a cross, a crescent and a Star of David illuminated in slow succession.
The work remains in the exhibition, which is due to open Saturday in the Diocesan Museum in Freising near Munich, but with a note from Wetter saying that it obscures the Christian doctrine of the cross. The exhibition is titled "A Cross for the 21st Century".
Wetter said the church could not go along with Blech's portrayal of the cross, which suggested the three religious symbols - for Christianity, Islam and Judaism - had equal significance. He said the work conveyed a skewed notion of tolerance and of religion.
Officials said Wetter's comment had been printed in the exhibition catalogue and would appear on a card placed next to the piece.
Copyright 2005 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
