BBC to broadcast gay mass from San Francisco
by SIMON CALDWELL
The BBC is to relay a ‘gay Mass’ from San Francisco this Sunday, the first time such a service has been broadcast. The 50-minute Mass at the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in the predominantly gay Castro district of the city will feature prayers and readings tailored for the gay community. The church has been described as an “inspiration” to gay and lesbian Christians around the world because of its ministry to homosexuals.
The BBC is to relay a ‘gay Mass’ from San Francisco the first time such a service has been broadcast. Its parish priest, Father Stephen Meriweather, blesses participants in the San Francisco’s annual gay pride march.
Last night a media watchdog said Sunday’s radio broadcast was “bound to cause offence” to mainstream Christians. John Beyer of Mediawatch UK, an organisation which campaigns for standards in the media, said he thought it was a mistake to broadcast the service. “Religious broadcasting, apart from Songs of Praise, tends to focus on the out-of-the-ordinary and having this particular service I think will cause offence to people who feel that such practices are wrong and are taught as such in holy scripture,” Mr Beyer said. “The BBC really ought to be focusing on mainstream services which are more in keeping with the public service requirement that it has.”
The recording will go out at 8.10am to two million listeners on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship programme.
AM comments:By broadcasting this particular service the BBC will knowingly cause offence to the ovewhelming majority of Christians who accept the clear teaching of holy scripture that such practices are wrong and offensive to God.
[Read here->http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=450991&in_page_id=1770]
[Read Ruth Gledhill's blog here->http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2007/04/bbc_celebrates_.html]
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