Archbishop Vincent Nichols meets director of BBC News

Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham issued the following statement last night, following a meeting with the Director of BBC News Mr Richard Sambrook. I was pleased to meet with the Director of BBC News, Mr Richard Sambrook today, Tuesday, 7 October. My concerns were listened to, courteously and in full. I was able to express the deep disquiet felt by so many Catholics and others at some aspects of BBC programmes with regard to religious belief in general and the Catholic Church in particular. I was given an undertaking that due consideration will be given to several points I raised about the proposed "Kenyan Confronts" programme. Our discussion about this will continue over the next few days. I was also given a full and impressive list of forthcoming religious broadcasting and programmes to mark and cover the Silver Jubilee of Pope John Paul II (Thursday 16 October) and the Beatification of Mother Teresa (Sunday, 19 October). These are welcome initiatives and will be widely appreciated. I expressed my desire, and that of the Catholic Church, to cooperate with the BBC in an open and constructive manner, it is apparent that this is also the wish of the BBC. I accepted the BBC's offer of continuing contact. Future meetings of this nature will be most important to the Catholic Church's continuing dialogue with the Corporation.