SOLARPIX/GETTY The San Gonzalo Catholic brotherhood, left, and a Klan member

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The publicly-funded corporation used a picture of worshippers from a well known brotherhood in Seville, Spain, to illustrate an article about a hackers exposing the white supremacist group. Members of the San Gonzalo brotherhood - who parade in front of thousands of people every Easter in all-in-one white robes and high pointed hoods with slits around their eyes - accused the broadcaster of “gross ignorance”. One of the most famous penitents is actor Antonio Banderas, who last year gave former Prime Minister Tony Blair an expert’s guide to Malaga’s famous Easter processions from a private balcony. Newspapers, radio stations and TV broadcasters across Spain named and shamed the broadcaster alongside pictures of the embarrassing gaffe in their print editions and on their Twitter feeds.

SOLARPIX The San Gonzalo brotherhood parade in Seville every Easter wearing all-white robes

A spokesman for the 63-year-old religious organisation said it would be writing to the broadcaster to complain and demand an apology - whilst urging sympathisers to pray for the BBC’s forgiveness. The brotherhood, which named former Spanish King Juan Carlos as an honorary brother in 1976, said in a statement: “The Brotherhood of San Gonzalo regrets the unfortunate occurrence or gross ignorance of the British broadcaster BBC in confusing the Nazarene outfit of our corporation, a symbol of Christian penitence, with the clothing that the members of a violent and xenophobe organisation hide behind.

GETTY The incorrect image was displayed on the BBC website for four days before being removed

“The brotherhood will be informing the BBC about this pitiful mistake so they can make a public rectification.

The brotherhood will be informing the BBC about this pitiful mistake so they can make a public rectification San Gonzalo brotherhood statement

“We will also be informing the General Council of Brotherhoods and Confraternities so they can take the measures they feel are appropriate in defence of our faith and traditions which are often ridiculed and attacked. “We would urge all brothers, believers and devotees to pray for the divine forgiveness, mercy, conversion and increase in faith and respect of all those who don’t have as their guide Almighty God and the Blessed Mother.” The BBC gaffed by using a picture of a brotherhood member to illustrate a video story about the public exposure of KKK sympathisers, revealed by hacking collective Anonymous. The picture - showing a San Gonzalo Brotherhood group parading with a candle in his hand - was posted on the BBC website on November 5 for four days before it was taken down last night and replaced by an image of a KKK member.

GETTY Hacking group Anonymous claimed to have revealed the identity of many Klan members last week