The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is leery of CNN's six-part series, "Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History," which debuted Sunday.
"From the trailers posted online, the documentary will feature comments by such distinguished persons as Cardinal Donald Wuerl. But it also profiles strident enemies of the Catholic Church, such as Anthea Butler, a professor who has called God a 'white racist,'" Catholic League President Bill Donohue said.
"Surely if CNN were doing a series on gays it would not invite gay bashers to opine, even if the commentary aired in the show proved to be inoffensive."
He said the theme of the series appears to be "the incredible power" of the Catholic Church.
"There is nothing inherently biased about such a perspective, but when seen through the lens of liberal-left producers and writers — CNN is not known for hiring practicing Catholics to do such shows — it can evince an ideological edge. Moreover, a fixation on power and hierarchy is a signature of left politics," Donohue said.
Donohue is also at odds with the selection of Irish actor Liam Neeson to narrate.
"Why does CNN like to hire Neeson? He says he was 'raised' Catholic, and we all know what that means. Today he is more well known for his lobbying efforts against the Catholic Church: He wants abortion legalized in Ireland," Donohue said.
"CNN posted an interview with Neeson about the new series and other matters. What would he like to ask Pope Francis? He answered, 'When will Mary Magdalene be canonized and when can we have women priests?'
"Fortunately, I can help the 'amateur scholar' out. The answer to the first question is: Mary Magdalene is regarded by the Catholic Church as a First Century saint; her feast day is July 22. The answer to the latter question is: Never."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.