Catholic magazine apologises over ad

An American Jesuit magazine has apologised after inadvertently publishing an advertisement for a Virgin Mary statue wrapped in a condom that a British artist intended as a protest against the church’s opposition to condom use.

The Rev Drew Christiansen, editor-in-chief of America, said in a note to readers that the condom was not visible in the black and white proofs that were used to review the final draft of the December 5 issue, which appeared with colour photos.