Press Council: Complaint about caricature rejected
A cartoon depicting the pope with a swastika does not violate journalistic standards. This is the conclusion reached by the Press Council, which dismissed a complaint against the Tages-Anzeiger.
The drawing shows the Pope with a Christian cross in his hand, which becomes a swastika in the shadow image. It was printed in May and referred to Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel. The Pope commemorated the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. In the opinion of the Press Council, the Tages-Anzeiger did not offend the dignity of the Pope or the religious sensibilities of the faithful with the caricature. Freedom of comment and criticism also applies to churches, the Swiss Press Council stated in its statement published on Tuesday.
In addition, the question of whether satirical contributions and caricatures have a discriminatory effect or violate human dignity should be judged by a generous standard. In the opinion of the Press Council, the Pope caricature should be viewed in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. It criticizes the fact that the Pope in Israel spoke of the Church's compassion for the victims, but not of the Church's complicity.
In addition, the question of whether satirical contributions and caricatures have a discriminatory effect or violate human dignity should be judged by a generous standard. In the opinion of the Press Council, the Pope caricature should be viewed in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. It criticizes the fact that the Pope in Israel spoke of the Church's compassion for the victims, but not of the Church's complicity.
