German bishops speak out against MTV cartoon which mocks Pope, Vatican

Berlin, Germany, Apr 11, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Catholics in Germany are challenging the good taste of MTV in its decision to air a British-born cartoon series mocking the Vatican and the Pope.

The series, called “Popetown” depicts an infantile pontiff who bounces around the Vatican on a pogo stick, a group of money-hungry cardinals and its main character, Father Nicolas, a Vatican clerk who tries to control the pope and his own attraction to a vixen-like nun.

In 2004, the BBC scrapped the program following a petition campaign with signatures from some 6,000 Catholics.

A statement from the German Bishop’s Conference said that "We have not given up hope that dialogue with the direction of MTV will lead to a decision to cancel the screening of the series and to consideration for the feelings of Christians in our country."

The bishops also raised serious concern about an advertisement for the cartoon which they say mocks Christianity.
   
"MTV's advertisement for 'Popetown' in several television programming magazines constitutes a provocation for Germany's Christians just a few days before Good Friday and Easter," the statement said.
 
The ad, which depicts a laughing man with a crown of thorns watching television, "mocked and ridiculed the central tenets of the Christian faith," they added.