Lithuanian bishops consider suit over airing of 'Popetown' satire

Published: 2007-01-12

VILNIUS, Lithuania (CNS) -- Lithuanian bishops are considering suing MTV Lithuania for airing the animated satire "Popetown." The series, which lampoons the papacy, has aired regularly since its Christmas debut. A week before Christmas, the bishops' conference tried to get a restraining order to keep the series from airing, claiming it incited religious hatred. "When we found out about the plans to show 'Popetown' and collected information about its content, it left us without the slightest doubt that the cartoon is so offensive and scornful of the rights of the faithful that we asked the court for a restraining order so that we would be able to prepare ourselves to file a suit, demanding that it not be aired," said Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius of Kaunas, head of the Lithuanian bishops' conference. He told Catholic News Service Jan. 11 that since the court did not grant the bishops' request and the cartoon was being shown the bishops were considering legal action on different grounds. He did not elaborate.

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