Editing Franco Zeffirelli (section)

==Criticism==
Zeffirelli received criticism from religious groups for what they call the [[blasphemy|blasphemous]] representation of biblical figures in his films.<ref name="glbtq">{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Patricia Julian|title=Zeffirelli, Franco|publisher=glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Culture|date=9 January 2005|url=http://www.glbtq.com/arts/zeffirelli_f.html|access-date=7 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814115944/http://www.glbtq.com/arts/zeffirelli_f.html|archive-date=14 August 2007}}</ref> He also roused accusations of [[antisemitism]] for describing [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' as a product of "that Jewish cultural scum of Los Angeles which is always spoiling for a chance to attack the Christian world."<ref name="Ulaby2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/06/15/514094174/franco-zeffirelli-creator-of-lavish-productions-on-screen-and-stage-dies-at-96|title=Franco Zeffirelli, Creator Of Lavish Productions On Screen And Stage, Dies At 96|work=[[Weekend Edition]], [[NPR]]|date=15 June 2019|access-date=15 June 2019|last=Ulaby|first=Neda}}</ref>

Zeffirelli was a highly conservative Catholic,<ref name="Ulaby2019"/> and served two terms in the [[Italian senate]] as a member of [[Silvio Berlusconi]]'s centre-right {{lang|it|[[Forza Italia]]|italic=no}} party.<ref name="BBCobit">{{cite news|title=Obituary: Franco Zeffirelli|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24855930|work=BBC News|date=15 June 2019|access-date=15 June 2019}}</ref> He was criticized by members of the gay community for upholding the [[Catholic Church]]'s position on homosexuality<ref name="glbtq"/><ref name="Ulaby2019"/><ref name="BBCobit"/> and by others for support of [[Abortion and the Catholic Church|the Church's position on abortion]],<ref name="Ulaby2019"/><ref name="BBCobit"/> which extended to calling for [[capital punishment]] for women who had terminated a pregnancy.<ref name="BBCobit"/>

He roused controversy again when he told a newspaper in 2006 that he had not suffered any harm from [[sexual abuse by priests|sexual abuse by a priest]] as a child.<ref name="Ulaby2019"/>