A celebration of the 1250th anniversary of Westphalia took an unexpected turn when dancers performing at the Paderborn Roman Catholic Cathedral engaged in what many are calling a blasphemous performance.

Federal President Frank Walter-Steinmeier, North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and Paderborn Archbishop the Most Rev. Udo Markus Bentz were among the guests of “1250 years of Westphalia “ held on May 27, 2025.

Semi-nude dancers performed a routine involving plucked chicken carcasses wrapped in diapers, while a song titled “Fleisch ist Fleisch” (“Flesh is Flesh”) played in the background. For many, the symbolism mocked the Eucharist and the dignity of Christian worship. 

Within hours, nearly 20,000 people signed a petition demanding a public apology for the desecration of the cathedral. The petition condemned the act as a “mockery of the central contents of the Christian faith”. The petition also denounced Archbishop Bentz, accusing him of failing in his duty to safeguard the cathedral and the Catholic Church’s moral authority.

The diocese released a statement expressing “regret that religious feelings were hurt,” noting this was not the intention of the organizers. The affair has spread into the political arena with the AfD in Westphalia-Lippe calling for those responsible to be censured.