You Gotta Love Madonna

Madonna was just in Rome, where she performed one of her many sold-out “Confessions Tour” shows at Lo Stadio Olimpico – capacity: 82,000 – just a mile away from Vatican City.

Naturally, her performance in Italy was surrounded by controversy. And would she have it any other way? Not!

So why were Rome's Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish leaders so…umm…crossed with Madonna this time?

Well, because one of the sections of the “Confessions Tour” features the Queen of Pop wearing a fake crown of thorns and being raised on a 20-foot glittery cross as she sings her beautiful “Live to Tell” against a video backdrop showing images of Third World poverty and numbers representing the 12 million children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.

Jeez, you would’ve thought she did something truly heinous. Madge is only channeling the divine within her to raise awareness of a cause. Isn’t there supposed to be divine within all of us, anyway?

Surely, charity is less infuriating than say, this. (I think it is art, by the way.)

The religious leaders probably thought, “Charity, schmarity!” as they banded together to bash Madge for moving forward with plans to perform the mock-crucifixion last Sunday, and called for a boycott of the show. If only they could band together to help alleviate the tensions – many of which are driven by religion – that currently make the world bleed.

Alas, you can’t negotiate with a pop star, and Madonna not only went ahead with her plans – she donned the shirt pictured at right as she left her hotel the following day. You just gotta love her!

On a related note, Madge recently told Time magazine about a “big, big project” of hers, which entails raising at least $3 million to aid orphans in Malawi (a Pennsylvania-sized country in southeast Africa). The money will go toward a care center, as well as improved economic, food, and health programs for the area.

In addition to the fundraising and the new center, Madonna is also financing a $1 million documentary about the region's orphans, and has met with President Bill Clinton and other prominent officials about bringing low-cost medicine to the region.

She is expected to touch down in Africa once she is done touring in October to oversee the center's development. Then in November, her primetime concert special, Live to Tell, airs on NBC. And yes, it is expected to feature the “controversial” performance.

Photo: People.com.