``Pokemon is not as innocent as some believe,'' the Mexico City Archdiocese said Monday in its weekly publication Desde La Fe, distributed on Monday, February 23.

``Behind the huge merchandising phenomenon one finds, as in many Japanese cartoons, a combination of elements that incite violence and sexual perversion among children,'' the publication said. ``This is the tip of an iceberg that could have dramatic consequences.''

The publication also said sexual references in the cartoon series failed to take into account children's level of ''maturity and comprehension.''