Italy's state broadcaster today decided to buy a BBC documentary on the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests but will only let it be aired if accompanied by balancing opinion from the Church.
The documentary had sparked a political row which pitted right-wing politicians opposed to the airing against leftists who said censoring it would violate freedom of speech.
On Tuesday RAI director general Claudio Cappon approved purchasing the documentary, called "Sex Crimes and the Vatican", but set conditions for how it can be broadcast. He demanded that the program hosting the documentary, talk show "Year Zero", also let prominent members of the Church give their version of events and contest the documentary's assertions.
Michele Santoro, a left-leaning journalist, had originally planned to air the documentary this Thursday but will now delay broadcasting it. The solution did not satisfy Mario Landolfi, a right-wing politician who is head of the parliament's oversight committee for the broadcaster and led the campaign to ban it. Landolfi accused Cappon of what he called "a Pontius Pilate solution", referring to the Roman governor who washed his hands of the killing of Jesus Christ.
"This will permit a media trial against the Catholic Church," Landolfi said. The documentary was aired on the BBC in October but never in Italy, although bloggers have translated it and it now ranks as Google Video Italia's (www.video.google.it) most popular item. Groups critical of the Church have also sent the link to the video in emails to the media.