Police shut down Christmas-themed ‘tantric sex’ retreat after protests from Catholic Church
‘Tantric sex’ Christmas event condemned by Catholic Church as police shut it down
- Police in Goa, India, shut down a Christmas retreat after its promotional posters advertised sessions on tantric sex, masturbation and "cosmic orgasms" alongside festive motifs.
- Catholic groups, including the Catholic Association of Goa, filed a formal complaint, accusing organisers of deliberately insulting the Christian faith and violating India's penal code.
- The Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, condemned the advertisement for disrespecting religious beliefs and eroding societal values.
- Women's groups and local politicians also raised concerns, warning that the retreat would damage Goa's reputation as a family-friendly destination and risked creating communal disharmony.
- Organisers claimed the event was a meditation-based tantra programme that had been "portrayed incorrectly as something indecent" and confirmed its cancellation, admitting the Christmas reference was an error.