Guns N' Roses fans were surprised this Sunday, the 19th, by a post on the official website of the Archdiocese of Fortaleza .
The organization released an image generated by Artificial Intelligence in which Jesus Christ appears embracing the band's vocalist, Axl Rose. The publication occurred the day after the group's performance in the capital of Ceará, held last Saturday, the 18th.
The text, signed by Father Vanderlúcio Souza, head of communications for the Archdiocese, details the motivation behind the post. According to the account, the action was a direct response to the promotional poster for the show released by the band.
In the official artwork shared by the rock group on social media, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza is depicted being embraced by a giant red creature, accompanied by ghost-like illustrations with skull faces.
The publication on the Archdiocese's website classified the band's poster as an "improper use" and a "grotesque image," stating that it was "quite typical of the visual style of this type of band." The text highlighted that, in the center of the illustration, the Cathedral, described as "the home of all Catholics in our Archdiocese," appeared under attack by "an apocalyptic monster and several mini-demons.".
The priest explained that his initial intention was to issue a formal statement of condemnation against the promotional material. However, he reported that, after speaking with a friend, he decided to "fight evil with good," and then used the Gemini tool to generate the illustration of Jesus with the musician.
The hug with Axl Rose
In the article published by the organization, the priest states that he researched the singer's life and was "overcome with great compassion.".
"From what is known about the singer, he is a man marked by a troubled history since childhood: abandonment, betrayal, abuse, addictions, and a deep aversion to authority figures," the text says. From the author's perspective, the impression is that "it is Axl himself who was crushed by the red monster on the poster.".
The priest concluded his reasoning by declaring that he believes "Axl needs the embrace of Jesus, who bears the marks of the glorious wounds." With the change in format, the material that was initially intended to be a text of repudiation became the debut article of the priest's column, called Beyond the Feed.
Current tour in Brazil
The show in Fortaleza, which served as the theme for the poster, is part of Guns N' Roses' extensive tour of Brazil in April. The group began their tour in the country on April 1st in Porto Alegre and has been visiting several cities, in addition to headlining the Monsters of Rock festivalin São Paulo on the 4th. After the show in the capital of Ceará on the 18th and in São Luís on the 21st, the band concludes this Brazilian leg of the world tour with a performance in Belém do Pará on the 25th.
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