Catholic Church complains to BBC Scotland

Bishop Keenan

Source: SCMO

Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley, has today published a letter sent to the Director of BBC Scotland, Donalda MacKinnon, outlining his concerns of the corporation's treatment of Catholics in a recent short film titled 'Homophobia in 2018, Time for Love'.

The film, broadcast on the corporation's digital platform, 'The Social', portrays hatred towards gay people and suggests Catholics are the root of the problem, with detailed references to the teachings and liturgy of the Church. With several deeply insulting and offensive representations, the video includes a clip which says the Catholic Sacrament of Holy Communion 'tastes like cardboard and smells like hate'.

In his correspondence, dated 23 April, Bishop Keenan quotes recent Scottish Government figures which show fifty-seven per cent of religiously aggravated crime is committed against Catholics, who make up only sixteen per cent of the population.

Bishop Keenan writes: "In the current climate of growing hostility to Catholics I would appeal that the BBC guard against adding fuel to the fire. In that regard I would ask that the Corporation now reach out to Catholics to understand their concerns, that they are being portrayed in a prejudicial way."

"When it comes to important public debates about the wellbeing of the human person and the truth and meaning of human sexuality Catholics feel their views are becoming increasingly marginalised, almost criminalised".

He requested a meeting with the Director to express concerns and to try to restore some breadth and fairness of critique, adding: "Catholics ask nothing more from the media than equity of treatment alongside their peers".

The Director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, Peter Kearney, has also sent a complaint to the Head of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs at BBC Scotland, regarding concerns the film has breached official Guidelines.

Requesting clarification as to whether the video was approved or assessed by the Head of Editorial Standards and Compliance prior to publication, he writes: "The Guidelines make it clear that "Programme makers dealing with religious themes should be aware of what may cause offence." While also stating "Deep offence will also be caused by profane references or disrespect whether verbal or visual, directed at deities, scriptures, holy days and rituals."

He adds: "The gratuitously disrespectful representation of the Mass constitute exactly the type of disrespect which the Guidelines seek to avoid."