Resurrection of Chocolate Jesus

Surely there will be worldwide condemnation, fatwas, riots, stonings, bombings, beheadings, groveling apologies, mindcrime charges and sensitivity training to follow.

Oh, we're not talking about Mohammed?

Never mind.

Chocolate Jesus Reborn

Chocolate Jesus is resurrected.

"My Sweet Lord," a nude anatomically correct milk chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ that infuriated Catholics before its April unveiling was canceled, returns Oct. 27 to a Chelsea art gallery, its creator said yesterday. This time, artist Cosimo Cavallaro said he expects no problems.

"There is nothing offensive about this," Cavallaro said of his 6-foot confection.

The Catholic League, which led the charge against the earlier exhibit, because of its timing -a day after Palm Sunday - and location - in a Manhattan gallery visible to passersby - won't protest this time.

Newsday notes a new additional to the exhibit.

The art space is expected to mail invitations next week featuring a "scratch n' sniff" on the breasts of a likeness of the Virgin Mary.

"It sounds pretty sick to me," said John Horvat, a spokesman for the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. "Obviously this man has an agenda. He's targeting very revered religious figures."

The gallery director said critics misunderstood the artist's intentions.

"I see it as basically a show about healing," Ronald Sosinski said. "The sculptures are extremely traditional when you see them in their use of material. When you first see them they look like bronzes."

Last March, the Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel in midtown displayed "My Sweet Lord" in a ground-floor window. In addition to being fashioned from a confection, it is "anatomically correct" and lacks the loin cloth that traditional depictions of Christ have.

The sculpture set off howls of protest from the likes of Cardinal Edward Egan and others, who objected to what they saw as a deliberately provocative artwork.

"The timing was appalling," said Kiera McCaffrey, a spokesperson for the Catholic League. "That was an upfront assault on Christian sensibilities during Holy Week."

The league, she said, would not protest this exhibit because "it's going to be limited to galleries and people who expect and like that sort of thing. We don't approve of it, but it's a far cry from what we had last spring," with such a public display.

Cosimo Cavallaro, the Canadian-born artist, did not want to reveal where the sculpture has been stored because of threats, said it had to be repaired after mice gnawed at its fingers, toes, and nose.

He also insisted he's not trying to be sensational.

"As an artist I try to be honest with myself," he said. "When I wake up in the morning everything relates to food. I accepted the world of food and ever since then I've been a lot freer."

I'll believe that when I see a Chocolate Mohammed.

Previously: Oh, Sweet Jesus