Vandals have destroyed a statue of Mary Magdalene in the chapel of Saint-Pilon in Var, southeastern France. The sculpture, created by an unknown artist, shows the saint naked, carried by two angels, with her long hair covering most of her body. The plaster statue was placed five years ago during the chapel restoration and was soon replaced by a permanent marble version.

The perpetrators left a note at the scene saying they "do not accept that a great saint like Mary Magdalene is represented in this way." The statue's destruction has sparked outrage in the region and a debate about the moral obligations of art depicting religious figures.

The mayor of Riboux, Suzanne Arnaud, complained about the destruction of the statue and an investigation was launched. Patrick-Marie Bozo, a Dominican friar in the Saint-Baume community, called the vandals' gesture "extremely violent," and Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Council, condemned the "act of humiliation" as "unacceptable."

The destruction of the statue of Mary Magdalene also harms the upcoming project to create a replica of the statue in marble. The project, already referred to in some media as the "Mary Magdalene Nude Model," was intended to replace the plaster statue with a permanent marble version.

This incident is also an example of how art and religion can clash. While some consider depicting religious figures in art blasphemy, others consider it a form of artistic expression. In this case, the perpetrators used their religious beliefs to justify their actions, which is an alarming trend.

Regardless of which side one takes in this debate, the fact remains that the destruction of works of art is never acceptable. The destruction of the statue of Mary Magdalene in the Chapel of Saint-Pilon has brought to the forefront the project of the "Mary Magdalene Remodel" and the moral obligations of works of art in religion