There are many chickens in Westphalia

A hyperbolic epithet for (1) a Catholic cleric who promotes questionable liturgical practices, or (2) those questionable practices themselves. Frequently shortened to "chickens in Westphalia." Originating as a reference to a strange performance held in a Catholic cathedral in Germany in the summer of 2025, the phrase has since taken on a life of its own on the Catholic internet. In May 2025, an art group known as Bodytalk performed an interpretive dance in the transept of Panderborn cathedral in Germany which involved the use of plucked chickens dressed in baby diapers as props. During the controversy which ensued following the event, a spokeswoman for the dance company defended the performance by saying that it was simply an homage to the agricultural heritage of the local region. "There are many chickens in Westphalia," she said.