A video game in which Pope Benedict XVI is depicted as a pimp for
pedophile Roman Catholic cardinals is facing calls to be banned.Vatican Quest, released by U.S. firm RoundGames.com on Mar. 14, has sparked outrage in Spain with critics saying it makes fun of both sexual abuse victims and the Catholic Church.
Human rights group Maslibres.org has launched a petition demanding the free arcade game is removed from the Web, reports El Huffington Post.
The game's main character is a doll, resembling the recently retired Pope, who has to collect young children for cardinals waiting at the gates of the Vatican.
Once delivered, the prelates put their arm around the youngsters and disappear into a darkened room — earning the player 1,000 points.
The Pope has to avoid journalist and photographers, investigating abuse allegations, who pop up at unexpected times. If caught, the game is over.
Miguel Vidal, spokesman for Maslibres.org, is asking Spanish distributor of the game, Minijuegos.com, to ban it from PCs and smartphones.
Vidal said: "Reducing to caricature the drama of child sexual abuse, and then profiting from it, offends the victims and their families. Representing the Pope as a pimp and the cardinals as pedophiles is an offence to Catholics."
Neither Roundgames.com or Minijuegos.com have commented on the complaint.