On the top right corner of New York’s latest newspaper, The Sun, there is a picture of Our Lady of La Leche, the Virgin Mary breastfeeding baby Jesus. The caption beside the Madonna and child reads, “THE LAND OF MILK AND MOMMY. A visit to the Upper Breast Side, NYC’s breastfeeding boutique, page 16.” The story is about Manhattan’s first breastfeeding boutique, “Upper Breast Side.”
Catholic League president William Donohue spoke to this issue today:
“Our Lady of La Leche is a legitimate piece of Catholic art. The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche was built in the early 17th century in America’s oldest city, St. Augustine; it is the oldest Marian shrine in the nation. It is precisely because it is such an honorific work of art in the Catholic community that Catholics take offense when it is exploited for commercial purposes. This is where The Sun erred: it ripped off a piece of Catholic iconography to hawk its newspaper.
“On March 26, I issued a news release criticizing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for using the identical portrait to make a statement against the dairy industry. Now we have The Sun joining the chorus. That this offense should appear on its first day suggests there are at least a few jerks working at this newspaper. Whether these louts spend their time moonlighting for PETA is worth investigating, but the Catholic League has been preoccupied with larger matters these days.”
