An exhibit of Barbie dolls as renowned biblical figures has angered numerous Catholics in Argentina, the birth country of Pope Francis, and around the world.
The exhibit, dubbed "Barbie, The Plastic Religion," is generating controversy almost a year after a similar exhibit was put up, which provoked death threats across the board.
"Barbie and Ken have offered for decades a model of a couple that attracts children of every age to play with them and identify with them," said Adrian Santarelli, a priest at St. Thomas More parish in Buenos Aires, according to USA Today.
"The idea of dressing (dolls) with sacred images of sacred persons alters and damages the child's levels of understanding of the sacred."
The exhibit was established by Emiliano Pool Paolini and Marianela Perelli, two artists from the Argentine town Rosario, and was launched on Saturday at the Pope Galeria.
There are a total of 33 Barbie and Ken dolls in "The Plastic Religion" room, where they are dressed as renowned religious figures and Latin American saints.
These religious figures include St. George on a plastic horse, Moses, Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of Argentina Virgin of Lujan and the Grim Reaper, The Guardian reported.
"Barbie is a world icon; she has a special type of beauty," Perelli said. "Virgins have changed as time went by, in the renaissance they were portrayed as more robust and chubby, and in the Middle Ages they were skinnier with long necks."
Paolini further explained: "We did not intend to offend anyone, so we don't understand why the Barbie was a problem. We wanted to blend the two biggest icons in the world, Barbie and religion," according to The Independent.
