Following a complaint made by the Catholic League, the San Francisco Examiner issued an apology for publishing an offensive joke.
On June 14, in the magazine section of the newspaper, Shann Nix opened a piece on President Clinton with a joke about the pope and Clinton (they die on the same day). The joke has it that after an initial mistake, the pope is rescued from Hell and delivered to Heaven while Clinton makes the reverse trip. On the way, the two meet and the pope exclaims how he is anxious to meet the Virgin Mary. Clinton remarks that “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid you’re just one day too late.”
We didn’t appreciate the humor let the San Francisco Examiner know it. The editor of the magazine section wrote back stating that an apology would be printed, admitting that the opening “strayed far from the mark.”
