Singapore archbishop warns flock against Madonna concert

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Singapore's church has urged its flock not to attend Madonna's concert
Her tour features bikini-clad nuns dancing on cross-shaped stripper poles
The country's archbishop said the singer 'denigrates and insults religion'
It will be the controversial singer's first-ever gig in conservative Singapore
See Madonna updates as Catholic Archbishop warns against her concert

Published: 01:36 EST, 23 February 2016 | Updated: 10:34 EST, 23 February 2016

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Singapore's Roman Catholic archbishop has urged his flock not to attend Madonna's upcoming concert because she 'denigrates and insults religions'.

Archbishop William Goh said he had met with various government officials to express the church's concerns about the February 28 concert, part of her global Rebel Heart tour.

Controversially, the tour features a segment called Holy Water which includes dancers dressed as scantily-clad nuns performing on cross-shaped stripper poles.

Madonna, pictured during her concert in China on Saturday, will perform in Singapore on Sunday despite protestations from the country's conservative Catholic Church

A banner promotes Madonna's upcoming February 28 concert in front of the National Stadium in Singapore. It is claimed a segment of the show featuring bikini-clad nuns dancing on stripper poles will not be performed

To be held at the 55,000-seat National Stadium, it will be the controversial and provocative singer's first-ever gig in largely conservative Singapore.

She was barred from performing in Singapore in 1993 after police said her performances bordered on the obscene and were 'objectionable to many on moral and religious grounds'.

Goh said that in a multi-ethnic society like Singapore 'we cannot afford to be overly permissive in favour of artistic expression at the expense of respect for one's religion'.

Authorities have assured the archbishop that restrictions have been placed to ensure that content deemed offensive to religious beliefs would not be allowed on stage, the church said.

Madonna, 57, is no stranger to controversy and has spent decades in the limelight due to her ability to shock audiences

Local media also reported she would not be performing the 'Holy Water' segment featuring the nuns and stripper poles.

The Media Development Authority has restricted the concert to those aged 18 and above because of sexual references.

The church statement said many Roman Catholics have voiced outrage at Madonna's 'disrespectful use of Catholic and other Christian symbols' in her performances.

'There is no neutrality in faith; one is either for or against. Being present [at these events] is in itself a counter-witness,' the archbishop said.

He warned his flock against supporting 'the "pseudo arts" that promote sensuality, rebellion, disrespect, pornography [and] contamination of the mind of the young'.

Some Catholics said they supported the archbishop's decision and would not attend the concert.

Student Kevin Koh, 24, said he would not go but would not pass judgement on fellow Catholics who attend.

'Singapore as a society has to start being open to these things because we can no longer live in our own shells.'

Some online comments were critical, with one commentator saying the faithful should be allowed to make their own decisions.