Saint, sinner and everything in between

Now playing in London: two views of Madonna and Child. One: Madonna is a spoiled and self-absorbed pop bimbo who used her enormous wealth and fame to buy an African baby

Now playing in London: two views of Madonna and Child.

One: Madonna is a spoiled and self-absorbed pop bimbo who used her enormous wealth and fame to buy an African baby, sneaking him away from his country and family to become her latest celebrity accessory, like a new navel ring.

Two: Madonna is a decent and generous woman who has legally adopted an African orphan, opening her home to save one little boy from poverty while using her fame to draw international attention to the tragedy of millions of African orphans.

Versions of both opinions have been expressed relentlessly this week in Britain, where Madonna8217;s adoption of a 13-month-old boy from Malawi in southern Africa has become a national spectacle. Little David Banda8217;s arrival Monday at Heathrow Airport, his cherubic and slightly startled face peeking out from under a floppy grey hood in the arms of one of Madonna8217;s assistants, was viewed here as a symbol of the singer8217;s selfless charity or her cynical selfishness8212;and rarely anything in between.

It has sparked a furious debate over power and privilege and the moral and legal issues involved with international adoption.

But mostly it8217;s just about Madonna. Madonna, 48, is often front-page news here in her adopted home she and husband Guy Ritchie have a multimillion-dollar mansion in London and a huge estate in the countryside southwest of the capital.

It began, in public anyway, when Madonna flew to Malawi earlier this month to visit orphanages. The singer is reportedly raising several million dollars for her project, called Raising Malawi, which aims to provide food, education and shelter to Malawi8217;s orphans. Malawi is one of the world8217;s poorest nations and has high rates of HIV and AIDS. It has a population of about 12 million people, says Raising Malawi8217;s Web site, and about 1 million of them are orphans.

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In a statement issued last month to explain the crucifix scene in her tour, Madonna said, somewhat cryptically, that her 8220;specific intent is to bring attention to the millions of children in Africa who are dying every day, and are living without care, without medicine and without hope.8217;8217;

The singer recently told Time magazine that her African project arises from her 8220;better perspective8217;8217; on life, which she attributed to Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism to which she adheres. 8220;One of the main precepts of Kabbalah is that we8217;re put on this Earth to help people,8217;8217; she said.

The precise details of the adoption remain unclear. Press reports here said Madonna picked David out of a photo array supplied by Malawian government officials, then met him at the orphanage. News reports said the judge exempted Madonna from a Malawian requirement that adoptive parents live in Malawi for at least a year before the adoption.

Human rights officials in Malawi reportedly oppose the adoption on the grounds that proper procedures were not followed. Emmie Chanika, of the Civil Liberties Committee in Malawi, told the Daily Mail that the adoption was 8220;tantamount to buying a baby8217;8217; and showed there was 8220;one rule for the rich and one for the poor8217;8217;.