KANYE WEST - WEST CAUSES CONTROVERSY BY POSING AS JESUS CHRIST

Rapper KANYE WEST has a new feud brewing with America's Catholic League after posing as the wounded JESUS CHRIST on the cover of the upcoming issue of music magazine ROLLING STONE.

Bloodied West appears wearing a crown of thorns on his head in a provocative shot, which has upset the religious group's leaders, who are calling his latest controversial act "offensive" and "trite".

Catholic League spokeswoman KIERA McCAFFREY says, "It's moronic. I mean, Kanye West as Jesus? He's a pop star."

But the JESUS WALKS rapper insists he has a lot in common with Christ because he has to fight for recognition and suffer for success.

In the accompanying article, West talks about the criticism fired at him last year (05) when he famously suggested PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH was a racist during a Hurricane Katrina telethon, and criticised the US leader for not reacting to the disaster quicker.

He explains, "If I was more complacent and I let things slide, my life would be easier, but you all wouldn't be as entertained. My misery is your pleasure."

In the Rolling Stone spread, West also poses as boxing great MUHAMMAD ALI.