Madonna and her filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie have infuriated Catholic religious leaders by attending a party dressed as a nun and the Pope respectively - at a time when Pope John Paul II is becoming increasingly frail.

According to the Internet Media Database, Madonna and Guy were attending a Kabbalah - an aspect of Jewish mysticism - bash in London to celebrate the Jewish holiday Purim.

US' Catholic League president William Donahue said: "It just goes to show you what a moral slug this man (Ritchie) is, that he would get dressed up as the Pope at a time like this.

"We're quite disappointed. We Catholics thought we had finally gotten rid of the witch when she (Madonna) discovered Kabbalah."

However, Madonna's publicist says, "No disrespect was intended".