A group of Catholic faithful gathered in Vienna to publicly pray the Rosary as an act of reparation in front of the Künstlerhaus building, one of the most well-known exhibition halls in Austria, in protest against an openly blasphemous exhibition that directly attacks central symbols of the Christian faith.
The initiative was driven by the Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), with the support of delegations from various countries, including the United States. The event took place on December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a date chosen precisely because of the markedly Marian character of many of the exhibited blasphemies.
An artistic exhibition with sacrilegious representations
The exhibition, titled You Shall Make for Yourself an Image, displays works that explicitly profane sacred symbols, including grotesque and offensive representations of the crucified Christ, of the Virgin Mary—even characterized with ideological elements foreign and contrary to the faith—as well as degrading images of the Holy Family and priestly vestments.
These representations have been denounced by Catholic associations as acts of public blasphemy, not as mere artistic provocations, but as deliberate attacks against the core of the Christian faith and popular piety.
International mobilization and signature campaign
Faced with the gravity of the exhibited content, associations linked to the TFP promoted an international protest campaign, requesting the immediate withdrawal of the exhibition. According to the organization, the American branch collected 23,448 signatures, which a delegation sent from the United States attempted to deliver personally to the presidency of the Künstlerhaus.
The scheduled appointment for the delivery was unilaterally canceled by the museum a few days before, a gesture that the organizers interpret as a refusal to hear the protest of thousands of offended faithful.
Public prayer of the Rosary in a high-traffic location
In addition to the signature campaign, the organizers called for a public act of reparation, consisting of praying the Rosary in front of the venue hosting the exhibition. The prayer was conducted in German and was accompanied by traditional chants such as the Credo and the Salve Regina.
The location and time were chosen for their high public attendance, due to the proximity of a Christmas market, with the aim of giving a visible testimony of faith and reparation in the face of the blasphemy exhibited inside the building.
Incidents and reactions during the protest
During the event, there were hostile interruptions by some people linked to the museum’s environment, including shouts and gestures of intimidation, although the prayer continued without serious interruptions, with occasional intervention from security personnel.
Numerous passersby showed interest in the reason for the protest, expressing surprise at the content of the exhibition and support for the public act of reparation.
Call to maintain reparation and prayer
The blasphemous exhibition is scheduled to remain open until February 2026. In this situation, the organizers have announced that they will continue promoting acts of prayer and reparation, reminding that public blasphemy demands a public response from the faithful.