Catholic Archbishop William Goh expressed the Catholic Church’s grave concerns about American singer Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” concert in Singapore on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.

In a note addressed to adherents of the Catholic faith, which was posted on the website of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, Goh reminded Catholics that it was their “moral obligation not to support those who denigrate and insult religions, including anti-Christian and immoral values promoted by the secular world”.

Madonna's concert at the Sports Hub will be the first time the shape-shifting icon will be performing in Singapore.

For people who regard themselves as Catholics, Madonna the artiste is a touchy and blasphemous subversion of their beliefs. For the uninitiated, this is so as "Madonna" refers directly to the Virgin Mary.

And here is today's fun "Did you know?" moment brought to you by everybody's favourite adherent of the Christian faith, Sun Ho.

Back in September 2006, Ho, who is the wife of City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee, said in a self-promoting interview posted on the PR.com website that she listens to Madonna's music a lot and hopes to do a crossover into the American music market a la Shakira.

Via PR.com:

PR.com: I noticed that you have a huge fan base in Asia and in other parts of the world and now for the last few years, you've been crossing over into English language music and breaking into the U.S. and you seem to be doing it through the dance charts rather then the pop charts. Was that something that was deliberate, to do dance music?

Sun Ho: I think personally, I enjoy dance music a lot. Actually, people ask me, what is my music style? I think it's um… I really appreciate Madonna for bringing back the dance music recently. I would say that my music is very eclectic; so when Justin, my manager, and Tas and the whole team suggested that maybe I should work on the dance music first, I was very much for it. It's kind of planned but it suits me perfectly, because I love it and I feel like it represents me very well at the same time.

[...]

PR.com: Over the last several years there's been a Latin music explosion in the United States. Is that something you are looking to model your career path after, but with Asian culture?

Sun Ho: Yeah. Someone like Shakira… I followed her from day one, when she did the crossover [into English language music] and now with "Hips Don't Lie" and she's doing so well. I really hope that I'll be able to do that. To me, it's just that growing process. Personally, it's normal because English is our medium of education [in Singapore]. So I listen to a lot of American music and female musicians especially like Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera… these are people that I really love. For me to be able to be given that opportunity now, to learn, to grow, to follow in their footsteps, it's just amazing to me. I feel like here in America, with the producers and the environment, it's just going to bring me so much further, musically.

Besides talking solely about herself exclusively like she mattered, the interview also mentioned how she was not a pastor or preacher, but a counsellor.

My favourite portion is still this part about how she came to be a Christian:

PR.com: What made you decide to become Christian?

Sun Ho: Actually, when I was sixteen, I kind of went through a period, maybe like Christina Aguilera, I was really searching myself… for love and stuff… I was kind of messed up emotionally… it was these volunteer workers that actually helped me and counseled me and brought a major change in my life. They gave me great values that I can anchor my life to, so after that, at the University and so on, I took up counseling.

The dated interview makes for a hallucinatory read, in light of the current events where her husband and five other current and former church leaders have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from 21 months to 8 years for fraud.

Related article:

Kong Hee & Sun Ho spent S$3.6 million of church members’ donations on themselves in 3 years

12 years ago, City Harvest Church threatened to sue whistleblower Roland Poon Swee Kay. They owe him an apology.

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