BISHOP SAYS BEEB IS ANTI-CATHOLIC

THE BBC has been blasted for its 'anti-Catholic bias' by a senior archbishop.

A string of new programmes by the Beeb was attacked by the Church as biased, hostile and offensive.

And the corporation was accused of pursuing an anti-Catholic agenda.

The pre-emptive blast was launched by Birmingham Archbishop the Most Rev Vincent Nichols.

His attack included:

An up-coming investigation by current affairs programme Kenyon Confronts into clerical child abuse as "recycled old news and reflected either malice or lack of judgment";

The timing of a Panorama programme entitled Sex and the Holy City next month to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Pope's election and the beatification of Mother Teresa;

Popetown, a satirical cartoon which caricatures John Paul II, which he said would be deeply offensive to many.

The archbishop also demanded a showdown with senior BBC executives, including director general Greg Dyke.

He said: "The BBC should be forced to justify its funding through the licence fee. Catholics are fed up with seeing a public service broadcaster using the licence fee to pay unscrupulous reporters trying to re-circulate old news and to broadcast programmes that are so biased and hostile. Enough is enough."

The attack comes as Catholic Church chiefs believe it has been unfairly treated by the BBC over claims that it covered up sex abuse cases.

The archbishop added: "While it was difficult to accuse the whole corporation of being anti-Catholic, it sometimes looked like that."

Recent programmes by Kenyon Confronts investigated topics such as fraudsters who faked their own deaths, dog fixing and doping, drug dealers and dealers in bogus marriages.

"That this programme is considered, by the BBC managers, as a suitable way to engage with the Catholic Church is absolutely offensive.

"That this programme has been allowed to progress this far shows either malice towards the Church or a total lack of judgment, or of managerial responsibility, within the BBC News and Current Affairs Department."

He claimed programme researchers made a series of "unacceptable" approaches to priests to "dig for dirt".

The archbishop said that, as far as he was aware, the programme had unearthed no new cases of clerical sex abuse. He admitted the Church had made mistakes in its handling of child abuse cases but had put in place tough new guidelines to prevent future lapses.

A BBC spokesman said: "Kenyon Confronts is examining how the Catholic Church is treating victims of past child abuse as they campaign for redress.

"We recognise that the arch-bishop has concerns about the programme.

"We believe it is an issue of serious public interest which will be fairly examined and reported. We take great care to reflect all faiths in the UK."

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