With Madonna urging people to see her show before criticizing her for mounting a crucifix during one song, NBC is still wrangling over whether millions of TV viewers will get that chance.

The network plans to air a Madonna concert special culled from her current "Confessions" tour during the November ratings sweeps period, which is used to set advertising rates.

During her performance of the song "Live to Tell," Madonna is shown on a mirrored cross wearing a crown of thorns. That angered some religious leaders, particularly before her concert in Rome, and they labeled it a bad-taste publicity stunt.

Madonna said in a statement Thursday that there had been so many "misinterpretations" about her act "I wanted to explain it myself once and for all."

"This is not a mocking of the church," she said. "It is no different than a person wearing a cross. ... My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole."

The Catholic League has written to NBC executives, urging that the crucifixion scene be left out of the special.