Metro Christmas Ad Ban: Catholic Archdiocese Files Appeal

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington isn't backing down after a federal judge ruled Friday that Metro's ban on Christmas ads was legal, filing an appeal Monday, according to a report.

The archdiocese wanted to run an ad that portrayed silhouettes of three shepherds and sheep looking into a starry sky to promote the website FindthePerfectGift.org, which states that "Jesus is the perfect gift" and provides religious information. However, WMATA rejected the ad because it did not comply with their guidelines, which prohibit "advertisements that promote or oppose any religion, religious practice, or belief."

WTOP reports that a federal judge upheld Metro's restrictions on Friday, but the archdiocese has filed an appeal Monday. The archdiocese argues that Metro is violating their free speech rights.

The plan was to display the ads on public city buses in order to "reach the Archdiocese's broad audience as consistently or effectively as bus advertising."

Ed McFadden, Secretary for Communications for the Archdiocese of Washington, said in a statement that the ad "conveys a simple message of hope, and an invitation to participate in the Christmas season."

"WMATA has denied the Archdiocese's 'Find the Perfect Gift' advertisements, which contain no explicit references to religion, religious practice, or belief," the lawsuit states. "At the same time, WMATA accepts advertisements that promote yoga practices as a mechanism to 'take you on an inner journey of self-discovery' and to lead to the 'acknowledgement of one soul to another.'

"The ban effectively silences any viewpoint that might challenge commercialism or consumerism or attempt to emphasize the religious reason for the season," the lawsuit adds.

The lawsuit also cites how WMATA "routinely accepts" advertisements that promote the Salvation Army's Christmas-related fundraising activities. The Salvation Army is an openly religious organization based on Protestant Christian principles, the lawsuit states.

Additional reporting by Cameron Luttrell

Photo: Perfect Gift Ad via Archdiocese of Washington