In a significant finding, the British Broadcasting Corporation has conceded that in their main evening news bulletin, seen by millions, it falsely described the Church as being ‘silent’ in the face of Nazism and that it has not reported correctly on the Church’s opposition to Hitler.No one who has read Church of Spies is surprised by the truth that the Church was not "silent" and gave the Nazis quite a bit of opposition. But that's the way it goes with even the most prestigious news organizations these days. They can be just as liable to perpetuate fake news and propaganda as everyone else.
The finding was made by the BBC’s internal watchdog after Father Leo Chamberlain and I jointly lodged a complaint. Chamberlain, a Benedictine, is a historian and former headmaster of Ampleforth College.
The broadcast was made last July during a visit to Auschwitz by Pope Francis. The reporter stated as fact that, “Silence was the response of the Catholic Church when Nazi Germany demonized Jewish people and then attempted to eradicate Jews from Europe.”
Here is what it takes to make people report the real news — dogged determination. In the immortal words of Galaxy Quest, never give up, never surrender!
Read it all at Crux.
(Thanks to Scott Danielson for the heads up on this.)
Shame on the BBC: they should have known better.
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