Mormon Church convicted of Photoshopping painting of Virgin Mary to cover her bust and shoulders

The Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) was convicted for photoshopping a painting of the Virgin Mary to make her more humble.

LDS released 18 downloadable nativity scenes for its members for the holiday season, including an edited image of the 1650s painting “The Holy Night” by Italian painter Carlo Maratta, which has since been removed from the website.

In Maratta’s original artwork, Mary can be seen flanked by three angels while holding her newborn close to her breast, which the painter has added a tiny cleavage to.

However, the classic artwork was modified before it was released to members of the Church, raising her neckline and eliminating the angels who surrounded her.

The Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS) altered Carlo Maratta’s painting The Holy Night from the 1650s. In Maratta’s original artwork (pictured), Mary is seen flanked by three angels while holding her newborn close to her breast, which the painter has added a tiny cleavage to

The classic artwork was modified before it was released to members of the church, raising her neckline and eliminating the angels around her.

According to the Salt Lake Tribute, the image was originally edited in 2016, but the changes were only recently shared.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the LDS for comment.

Dissenters, including Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson, have criticized the church for altering the classic painting.

Monson said the change sends the “aforementioned message to women that there is something shameful about their bodies.”

‘We get it. The church relies on modesty. But the concomitant shame imposed on women who come with this overemphasis on keeping a low profile backfires on the church, not only in terms of the damage it does among women and their self-esteem, but also in terms of it to sexualization as objects or, even worse, as possessions,” he wrote.

“There is nothing wrong with respecting women; There is nothing wrong with modesty, but when, in classical art, the Church drapes a shirt over the Virgin Mary and eliminates the tiniest bit of cleavage, what exactly does that accomplish?

The European sector of the church also defaced the genitals of Jesus in Domenico Ghirlandaio’s crib (pictured) during their Christmas concert earlier this year

In 2011, it also changed Carl Bloch’s The Resurrection, removing the angels’ wings and covering the women’s shoulders

“It draws more attention to that form, sexualizes it, even in a depiction that depicts the Mother of the Lord in utter innocence, worshiping her newborn child.”

He said the church’s messages featuring the image were “overwrought and overbearing” and would “do more harm than good”.

This isn’t the first time LDS has tweaked classic artwork to suit their tastes.

The group’s European section edited Baby Jesus’ genitals at a Witness of Christmas concert posted on their YouTube page.

It altered the Nativity of Domenico Ghirlandaio by blurring Christ’s genitals in the brief moment the artwork appeared on screen.

The Church also altered Carl Bloch’s The Resurrection, where Jesus is flanked by two angels. LDS removed the wings from angels because the Church does not believe angels have wings. They also added cap sleeves to the female angels to cover their shoulder.

The church has not commented on the change, but has since removed the image from its website (pictured: LDS Church in Salt Lake City).