Controversial Playboy model Marisa Papen arrested for posing nude at the Vatican while carrying a crucifix

Playboy model Marisa Papen has landed herself in trouble with the law once again after doing a nude photo shoot of her being crucified on a cross at the Vatican. The Belgian bombshell was previously arrested for posing naked at the Karnak Temple Complex near the Egyptian city of Luxor, The Sun reports.

Papen is seen in one of the photos from the shoot dragging a large wooden crucifix across the street with the St Peter’s Basilica visible in the background. The 26-year-old beauty was seen in another photo tied by a rope to a wooden cross as a man appears to mark a cross on her forehead using fake blood. Papen is seen in a third image sitting on a stack of bibles on the cobblestones that line St. Peter's Square.

The photoshoot was conducted by Jesse Walker, an Australian photographer who runs ENKI Eyewear and has taken several nude snaps of Papen for her previous projects. Both Papen and Walker were caught in the middle of the unconventional photo shoot on Sunday before Italian police apprehended them.

"I was right in the middle of putting on my underwear when two police cars suddenly arrived and another four cops approached us on foot, brandishing their batons and saying 'passports please'," Papen told The Sun. The duo was questioned and detained at a police station for over 10 hours.

Authorities found the large wooden crucifix and other props such as rosaries, fake blood, a crown of thorns, and priest outfits at the Airbnb rental apartment where they were staying.

Papen, who had her fingerprints and mugshots taken before being released, said: “There we were again, behind bars in a tiny little cell with dirt and ash on the floor. Jesse and I looked at each other and we burst out laughing."

After the pair's arrest in Egypt, they made international headlines. Papen caused further outrage after flashing her genitals while wearing a burka in a photo taken inside the Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey. The notorious model, who describes herself as a "free-spirited and wild-hearted expressionist", is also known for posing naked in front of Jerusalem's Wailing Wall in Israel. 

That said, the pair is now used to getting arrested for their artwork. Speaking to The Sun, Walker said: “We are willing to put it all on the line for these photoshoots even if it means jail time. It is something we thrive on and are very used to now so it is nothing new. I like to think ENKI and Marisa are the two most controversial artists and brand on the planet right now, and that's something I am very proud of."

Papen justified her actions saying she has a problem with religious institutions. “For me, the biggest problem is with the institutions built around religion," she said. "They are driven by money and are soulless.”

When Papen was at St. Peter's Square, she recalled the Pope appearing to give a short speech before the traditional Angelus prayer. She said: “One of the many beggars on the square caught my eye, a barefoot gypsy lady with badly deformed posture. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she was shaking her wet paper cup for some coins. I thought to myself, imagine if the Vatican was a place that actually helped people. Imagine if all these huge churches opened their doors for people in need."