A Belgian radio station has apologised after a video segment showing presenters smashing statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary drew criticism and sparked questions about respect for Christian beliefs.
The controversy centred on a January feature broadcast by Studio Brussel, a publicly funded youth radio station, during which the hosts destroyed various items on air, including Christian statues, as part of a segment linked to “Blue Monday” – a day often associated with low mood after the festive season.
The issue was raised publicly during the Radiodays Europe conference in Riga, Latvia, when EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn interviewed presenters Sam De Bruyn, Eva De Roo and Dries Lenaerts about the broadcast and whether they understood why many Christians might regard it as offensive.
Explaining the segment, De Roo said listeners had been invited to share what was making their day especially miserable, with the presenters then smashing items on their behalf in an attempt at humour.
The idea, she suggested, was about “beating the blue out of the Monday.”
When challenged on the wrecking of Christian imagery, De Bruyn said Belgium was not a particularly religious country and implied the segment would not have caused major concern among the station’s audience. He added that the items destroyed had already been damaged.
He admitted, however, that the approach would have required greater caution elsewhere, saying he would have handled such material differently in another country.
The exchange became more pointed when the presenters were asked whether they would have treated symbols from Islam or Judaism in the same way.
De Bruyn replied that doing so would be “dangerous”, while the presenters argued that their own Catholic upbringing and familiarity with Christianity made the stunt, in their view, more acceptable.
During the conference interview, De Roo offered an apology, and the broadcaster followed with a formal apology the next day acknowledging that the segment had been “misjudged” as reported by EWTN News.
According to EWTN News, the station said the video had been “intended as a humour piece,” but admitted its team had failed to appreciate “how sensitive religious symbols” are for many people.
It added that staff are expected to treat all religions with respect and said the issue was not about setting one faith against another, but about being considerate of people’s beliefs.
The episode gained wider attention online, where critics questioned why Christian symbols were treated in a way the presenters themselves suggested they would avoid with other religions.
Belgium is one of Europe’s more secular countries, with 59% of people saying they do not identify with any religion.
Among those who do, Roman Catholicism remains the largest religious tradition, while Muslims account for 15% of the population.
