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Piss Christ is a dramatic piece of art and was intended to be so by Andres Serrano when he made it in 1987. It is a photograph of a plastic crucifix submerged in the artists urine. Serrano claimed the work was a criticism of what he called the, “billion-dollar Christ-for-profit industry” and a “condemnation of those who abuse the teachings of Christ for their own ignoble ends”.

The picture has been destroyed while being exhibited in Avignon. It was attacked by people wielding hammers. The attack may have been inspired by a group calling themselves Civitas, a fundamentalist Catholic group who aim to re-Christianize France.

Civitas have gained visibility and momentum after President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech praising “the Christian heritage of France” in March. The speech was notable for being delivered at Puy-en-Velay. This was the bishopric of Adhemar of Le Puy, one of the key players in preaching the First Crusade.

There are many dangers in invoking a thousand year old religious movement to save yourself in contemporary politics. Sarkosy may well have had no intention of inspiring violence, but like a group of teenagers holding a seance in the first reel of a horror film he has woken a narrative thread that included the Crusades and the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.

I hope artworks are the only thing attacked as a result of this movement.