All you need to know about 'Agnes of God': The play that Catholic church wants to ban

The Catholic Church in India has demanded ban on the play Agnes of God, an adaptation of American playwright John Pielmeier’s drama about a nun giving birth to a child. They have alleged it is a “wrongful portrayal” of priests and nuns committed to a life of celibacy and hurts the sentiments of the Christians. Here is an all-you-need-to-know about the controversy surrounding the play: What the play is about: The play, is an adaptation of a 1982 Broadway production by Pielmeier. The plot is reportedly based on a true incident in New York, in 1977, narrating the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the child was the result of a virgin conception. [caption id=“attachment_2454948” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Agnes of God. Twitter @ashwinmushran[/caption] The play is directed by Kaizaad Kotwal, and stars his mother Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, also famous for her other production of Vagina Monologues in India. What is the church saying: According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the play “is the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy”. “The reason why the Catholic Church is against such a play is that it is the wrongful portrayal of the character of lakhs of our clergy, who are committed to a life of celibacy,” the CBCI letter said. “We have written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also other Chief Ministers to ban the play as it hurts religious sentiments,” Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) general secretary Joseph Dias told PTI on Saturday. “The play has been made by a group whose earlier work was ‘Vagina Monologues’. They are not Christians and they did not involve or consult the Church. The play questions the sacrifice of nuns. Now, they will sell the tickets for hundreds of rupees,” Dias said. What the play’s producers said: Kotwal, has defended his adaptation of Agnes of God, saying it doesn’t attack the Christian faith in any way. “It’s a nuanced piece that talks about spirituality and faith among other things. Once the dust has settled, I’d like to use it also to highlight issues of child abuse and lack of mental health services,” said Kotwal in an interview with the Indian Express. And he is not planning to step back either. “Once the premiere is over, I will seek out venues that will allow us to stage the play. The idea isn’t to stick a thumb in the nose but make sure our voice isn’t stifled. India is a democracy, and until the time it remains so, we will not give in,” he said. Will the play go on? The play was originally scheduled to premiere on 4 October, but Kotwal claimed that he was threatened and hence the show was cancelled.

Facing threats of arrest, imprisonment, harm to body and property for staging play AGNES OF GOD. Sophia show on Oct 04 SHUT DOWN. @BDUTT

— KAIZAAD KOTWAL (@KAIZAADKOTWAL) September 30, 2015

Kotwal has approached police to pursue his plea seeking protection for himself and the lead cast including thespian actor Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal. The NCPA has said that the play had received a certificate from the censor board and the first show would be at 7.30 pm on 5 October. “We are very clear about having the play tomorrow. However, it will be a free show and we do not intend to offend anybody’s feelings,” said KN Santook, director of NCPA, reports the Hindustan Times. According to an Asian Age report, the Mumbai Police has promised security for the play at NCPA after they had a meeting with the producers and the Catholic Secular Forum. Senior police inspector Pandurang Shinde said that five constables with two police inspectors and a senior police inspector will be present. “We have arranged a meeting with both the parties and have tried to sort out the issues among them. They have assured us that they will cooperate with us and not create any problems. We are taking care to ensure the event is held smoothly,” Shinde told the newspaper. Dias, however, had previously said that the CSF has no plan to obstruct the upcoming performance. “There is no question of halting that performance as it is to be staged before an invited audience at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA, though it was originally planned at Sophia hall),” Dias said. Social media reactions: Many Twitter users came forward criticising the Church’s stand:

I stand in solidarity with Mahbanoo and Kaizad Kotwal.The play Agnes of God has been duly certified period.

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) October 4, 2015

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Ban on #AgnesOfGod sought by Christian groups contributes to climate of intolerance. Reject #BanCulture. Protect #FoE

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) October 3, 2015

It's wrong the Mumbai Play called Agnes of God is called off. All of us who are liberal will do a great disservice if we don't oppose this.

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) October 3, 2015

Those who gave long sermons on Freedom of Speech & expression when PK released have gone into hibernation when asked about 'Agnes of God'!

— Priti Gandhi (@MrsGandhi) October 3, 2015

With inputs from agencies.