A GREATER MANCHESTER Anglican bishop has called on churches to ban the popular hymn, I Vow To Thee My Country saying it is "heretical" and has racist overtones.

The Bishop of Hulme, the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, said the hymn, which was sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, was contributing to a rise in nationalism.

Writing in Cruz, the Manchester diocesan newsletter, Bishop Lowe said he would not sing the hymn despite "the good tune".

He said: "I think it is heretical because a Christian's ultimate responsibility and accountability is to God as revealed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit."

In the article the bishop said the rise of nationalism had been evident during the Euro 2004 football tournament and the D-Day anniversary celebrations.

The bishop said "any notion of national superiority or fierce independence while pouring scorn on our neighbours is profoundly un-Christian and wrong."

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the bishop urged the clergy to think "long and hard" before permitting singing of the hymn which was written by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice in 1918.

He said: "I quoted the hymn as one example of my concerns about growing nationalism."

According to the paper, the bishop said the hymn's popularity was a symptom of a "dangerous" increase in English nationalism which had parallels with the rise of Nazism.

Set to Gustav Holst's The Planets, it was a favourite song of Diana's from her schooldays and she requested it at her wedding.

It was also used as an anthem for the Rugby World Cup.

A spokesman for the Church of England said the bishop was entitled to his own opinion.