A billboard featuring a praying bare-breasted nun has sparked a blasphemy row after it was erected in an Italian city ahead of a visit from Pope Francis.
The advert, which shows a topless model wearing part of a nun's habit and jeans, appeared in Naples two weeks before an official papal visit.
Locals complained the image was offensive and called for it to be taken down.
But Italian clothing chain Rosso di Sera, who put up the 20 x30ft billboard, denied it was deliberately intended to offend as part of a publicity stunt.
It said it would only remove the advert if it was forced to do so by a national advertising disciplinary body.
In a statement, a company spokesman said: "We recognise that we have made a strong marketing choice but there was no intent to blaspheme. Trivialising the act of prayer was not the intention in any way."
The Pope plans to visit Naples on March 21, ahead of a trip to Pompeii.
