A nude Virgin Mary on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine

A nude Virgin Mary on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine has prompted an apology by Playboy after local outrage.

The edition was published only days before a major Mexican festival dedicated to the Virgin Mary and showed a model wearing nothing but a white cloth over her head and breasts.

The phrase on the cover reads “We Love You, Maria” in Spanish (Maria being Mary is Spanish), although the model’s name is Maria Florencia Onori.

Playboy Enterprises said the Mexican edition of the magazine is published by a licensee, and the company did not approve or endorse the cover. Playboy Mexico said in a statement, “The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure. The intent was to reflect a Renaissance-like mood on the cover