2025-06-02 14:42:10

A bizarre stage performance featuring raw chickens in nappies has caused uproar in Germany, after it was hosted inside a historic Catholic cathedral.

The avant-garde show was held last month in Paderborn Cathedral, Westphalia – watched by the country’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and local archbishop Udo Bentz – and sparked fury among worshippers who branded the act a “desecration”.

More than 22,000 furious citizens have now signed a petition demanding that Archbishop Bentz apologise and carry out penance. They also want him to reconsecrate the cathedral after it was “desecrated by this performance”.

The production, by experimental theatre group Bodytalk, saw plucked chickens displayed on stage in baby nappies. It formed part of a cultural event focused on Westphalia’s rural history.

But many viewers failed to see the message behind the odd display and the backlash was so strong that the archdiocese and regional leaders were forced to apologise that the show “hurt religious feelings”.

In a joint statement posted to the cathedral’s website, organisers said they hadn’t been made aware of the full content in advance and promised stricter checks on future events.

Bodytalk co-founder Rolf Baumgart insisted the performance was never intended to mock the church.

He told the Associated Press: “It was not meant to be a spoof at all. As Westphalia is a rural-dominated region with a turbulent history our research was focused on that.”

Still, critics said it was deeply inappropriate to stage the production inside a consecrated space and even more shocking that high-profile figures were in the audience.

The German president’s office has not yet commented.

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