Jan 24, 2007, 13:33 GMT
Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday lashed out at violent animation movies and video games targeted at teenagers by calling them 'perverse'.
In his annual message to media operators, the pope said 'any trend to produce programmes and products - including animated films and video games - which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behaviour or the trivialization of human sexuality, is a perversion.'
Such programmes, the pope said, are 'all the more repulsive when they are directed at children and adolescents.'
Benedict said violent media content risked offending 'the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse.'
The 79-year-old pope said the media played a key role in educating minors and urged operators to promote beauty and goodness rather than ugliness and coarseness.
'This heartfelt wish of parents and teachers to educate children in the ways of beauty, truth and goodness can be supported by the media industry only to the extent that it promotes fundamental human dignity, the true value of marriage and family life, and the positive achievements and goals of humanity,' the pope said.
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