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You are > Home > Uproar in Italy over O’Gorman documentary
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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Uproar in Italy over O’Gorman documentary
By Deborah Coleman
A HARD-hitting documentary for which Colm O’Gorman reported for BBC’s Panorama series has been causing a stir in Italy as it has become the most watched film in the country after it was broadcast on the internet.
It was reported that a price had been agreed between an Italian TV channel and the BBC for the purchase of the programme which accused the Pope of covering up sex crimes committed by Catholic priests.
Until now the documentary had almost gone unnoticed until a subtitled version came to light on a website and was subsequently downloaded onto the Italian version of Google Video.
‘Sex Crimes and the Vatican’ was screened for the first time last October. Since the documentary has taken flight in the country and provoked an immense public interest, Italian bishops have branded it ‘fit for the dustbin’ and have said that producers should ‘bow their heads and ask forgiveness’.
It is now expected that the show will air on Thursday of this week and that Mr. O’Gorman will travel to Italy to take part in a live discussion afterwards.
“I have been invited to Italy to discuss the documentary. It has been causing quite a political storm over there. The first I heard of it was about two weeks ago when I started to receive emails from people in Italy saying it was the most watched film in the country. The Vatican are strongly criticising it but the Liberals are pushing for it to be shown,” said Mr. O’Gorman.
According to the film, in 2001 Pope Benedict, or Cardinal Ratzinger as he was then, in an attempt to silence sexual abuse victims, updated a pre-existing order.
The church responded that the directive, which imposed an oath of secrecy and was first issued in 1962, was intended to avoid the misuse of information gathered in the confessional.
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