Madonna's concert in Rome on Sunday sparked conflicting reactions here, with fans revering the star and the Church blasting her "blasphemous" performance.
Some 70,000 people crowded into the capital's Olympic Stadium for the sell-out gig, in which the singer 'crucified' herself on a huge cross, while singing Live To Tell. The stunt, a controversial part of her Confessions Tour set, attracted the wrath of many religious groups, including Rome's Muslims, before and after the concert.
Another controversial part of the show was a video clip in which Pope Benedict XVI and former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi were shown alongside people like Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
"An Artfully-Created Scandal" read a headline in Avvenire, the Italian bishops' daily, on Monday.
Avvenire also published an opinion piece which argued that, while Madonna aimed to amaze her public, all she really served up was "kitschness that tastes of middle-aged trickery".
Madonna fans, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the concert, despite the provocation and dubious taste.
One fan's banner called for Madonna to be made a "Saint Immediately", while another chided the Church by declaring "I missed mass to come to see you".
"Crowds and Applause, Madonna enchants the Olympic Stadium," read a headline on the front-page of Rome daily Il Messaggero.
While admitting the singer made extensive use of gimmicks, another Rome newspaper, La Repubblica, gave her a warm review.
"If you manage to avoid being offended, there is fun to be had," wrote La Repubblica's top music critic, Gino Castaldo, who praised the 47-year-old's stamina. The crowd was dotted with VIPs, including Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and actress Penelope Cruz, American rock star Lenny Kravitz and heroes of Italy's World Cup-winning soccer team, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero.
Deputy Premier and Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli was there too.
Rutelli defended Madonna's act, even though the Daisy party he leads has Catholic roots.
"Freedom in the world of show-business should not be touched," he said.
"But the public's freedom to criticise is just as important. Everyone is free to judge shows and singers".
