The Catholic Church and ancient art

Thanks to a friend on a mailing list for this:

Pompeii visitors will see ancient erotica
By Peter Moore, 365Gay.com
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/po/20011116/co/pompeii_visitors_will_see_ancient_erotica_1.html

SUMMARY: Despite the objections of the Roman Catholic Church, visitors to
the ancient Roman city of Pompeii will soon be able to see a series of
erotic lesbian frescoes that were buried under volcanic ash 2,000 years
ago.

ROME -- Despite the objections of the Roman Catholic Church, visitors to
the ancient Roman city of Pompeii will soon be able to see a series of
erotic lesbian frescoes that were buried under volcanic ash 2,000 years
ago.

The art was discovered in the 1950s and has been undergoing restoration
ever since. Archaeologists discovered it when they stumbled onto an
underground "pleasure spa."

The frescoes show scenes of explicit sex. The church had attempted to
convince Pompeii officials to keep the art under wraps.

A local priest condemned it as a temptation that could "corrupt the morals
of the chastest."

It is the latest dispute between church and art. Last year when curators
unveiled another collection of ancient erotica that had been kept under
lock and key for 200 years, the church was outraged.

The ancient women's bathhouse will be open to the public next month.

Pompeii was buried in ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The
archaeological site is now one of Italy's most popular tourist
destinations.

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Ok, now I REALLY want to take that trip to Italy :) The only thing is convincing B . . . he doesn't want to go traveling unless he can speak the native language (my basic knowledge of Italian wouldn't cut it by his standard)