TORONTO, Ont. Nov. 17, 2008 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today called on the executive of YouTube to enforce the site’s terms of use consistently and age-segregate or remove new videos claiming to show desecration of the Eucharist. New videos began appearing recently and appear to involve a host and pages of the Bible.

Over the Fall the League was part of a concerted campaign to remove or age segregate a series of videos showing a Quebec teenager (Dominique, with the screen name FSM Dude) going to Mass, receiving Communion and then proceeding to film a range of apparent desecrations of the Host. It was made clear at the time that the youth was taking his lead from Professor Paul Myers of the University of Minnesota, and it was probably predictable that more copy cats would follow. (The Quebec videos were finally taken down by the account holder himself, following an anonymous letter to his father.)

You Tube’s guidelines state that videos are inappropriate and can be removed when they attack or demean a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity; and also if they are made only for shock value. These new videos would certainly qualify as demeaning to a religion and made for shock value.

CCRL acknowledged that the “age-gating” was a step in the right direction. However, in the interest of respect for religion and to prevent endless copycatting we urge YouTube’s executive to show the same respect for Catholics as they have shown other faiths in the past and remove videos that purport to show deliberate desecration of the Eucharist. We’re not asking for special treatment, just equal consideration. As we pointed out in our communication with them, recent videos showing desecration of a Holocaust memorial were quite properly removed from the site.

If you are a You Tube user, or have family members who are, please participate in the flagging campaign. Let You Tube know these videos are unacceptable. Company e-mails include press@youtube.com and filmz@youtube.com.

You can contact You Tube by postal mail at:
Mr. Chad Hurley
Chief Executive Officer
You Tube LLC
901 Cherry Ave.
San Bruno, CA
94066

General phone #: 650-253-0000

About CCRL
 
Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization and has chapters across Canada. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.

For further information: Joanne McGarry, Executive Director, 416-466-8244; joanne.mcgarry@ccrl.ca