Thursday April 27, 2006
Munich archdiocese rejects MTV concession to German criticism of 'Popetown'
BERLIN (AP) - The Munich archdiocese on Thursday rejected a concession made by music channel MTV after criticism in Germany of its "Popetown'' cartoon, vowing to press ahead with legal efforts to keep the program off the air.
The cartoon, which depicts the pope as a pogo-stick riding brat, has stirred protests from the Roman Catholic church and conservative politicians, particularly in Pope Benedict XVI's native Bavaria.
On Wednesday, the channel said it would broadcast only the first episode on May 3 and would consider public reaction before deciding to air more. The Munich archdiocese had pressed it to back off airing the program, and said it was not satisfied.
"The broadcaster's proposal to air one program in the series, have a public discussion and then decide on further broadcasts is perfidious in that an attempt is being made to commercialize the legitimate protest rather than show sense,'' a statement from the archdiocese said.
It added that the archdiocese would pursue legal move to prevent the series being broadcast and would announce its next move May 2.
As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI served as archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1981.
The British Broadcasting Corp. originally commissioned the program but decided in 2004 not to show it after protests from church leaders. It was screened last year in New Zealand, despite a church-led campaign against the broadcaster.
The show features corrupt cardinals, a buxom nun and an infantile pope who bounces around the Vatican on a pogo stick.
Joachim Herrmann, a senior official with Bavaria's dominant Christian Social Union party, said Tuesday he had filed a complaint with prosecutors accusing MTV of disparaging Christianity.-AP
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