La Furlana, Longhi c. 1750

In November 1913, Pope Pius X declared tango as immoral and off-limits to Catholics. When the ban had little effect, Pope Pius took a different tact; mocking the tango. After witnessing a demonstration of tango dancing the Pope annulled the ban on tango, commenting, “It’s one of the dullest things imaginable.” However, the Vatican denied that the ban was annulled, or that the Pope had witnessed any such demonstration. Dancing Tango was still a sin in the 20th century.