Row Over Cathedral 'Gun Battle'

Jun 11, 02:35 AM

Current Headlines: THE Church of England yesterday stepped up the pressure on entertainment giants Sony with demands for an apology and a substantial donation over its use of a cathedral in an ultra- violent computer game.

Church leaders have accused Sony of the "desecration" of Manchester Cathedral, after the firm set one of its top-selling games inside the place of worship.

The new PlayStation 3 game, titled Resistance: Fall of Man, which has sold more than one million copies, sees a virtual shoot-out between rival gunmen with hundreds killed during a battle inside the cathedral in an orgy of blood.

Church officials described Sony's use of the building as sick and sacrilegious.

The Church has demanded an apology and the removal of the game from shop shelves or face legal action.

Spokesman for Manchester Cathedral David Marshall said officials would meet today to discuss the next steps to take.

The firm has been branded irresponsible for choosing Manchester, a city plagued by gun violence.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, said: "For a global manufacturer to recreate one of our great cathedrals and then encourage people to have gun battles in the building is beyond belief."

No-one from Sony answered calls about the matter at the weekend.

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