Staying on message

Are Church leaders stupid? Or, how stupid can they be?

From the Associated Press:

"Madonna's plans to crucify herself on a mirrored cross during a Sunday concert in Rome have drawn fire from religious leaders.

The prospect of the scene taking place at the concert in Rome's Olympic stadium, some three kilometres from the Vatican, prompted Catholic officials to denounce the act as a publicity stunt in bad taste."

I'd like to have been in on the meeting where they discussed their public response: "It's a publicity stunt -- so let's walk right into it, denounce it, and give her more publicity."

I'm also curious about the significance of the proximity to the Vatican. Does the crucifixion become in better taste the farther Madonna gets from the Vatican? What if she's far from the Vatican but near another religious centre? Is the point of least bad taste midway between Rome and Salt Lake City?