This year marks the 20th anniversary of Comic Relief

There was concern that schools in the diocese - which includes Swansea, Llanelli and Port Talbot - feared the money could go to support abortion.

But Bishop Dom John Mark Jabale says no directive has been made and that schools can support the charity.

Comic Relief said it had never funded or promoted abortion services.

We do not fund and have never funded abortion services or the promotion of abortions Comic Relief

The bishop - who said the church had been assured funds raised would not go to groups supporting abortion - spoke out after a colleague said that Catholic school pupils across the diocese had been banned from taking part.

The three schools in question were St Joseph's in Port Talbot, Bishop Vaughan in Swansea, and St John Lloyd in Llanelli.

Over the weekend, spokesman for the diocese, Father Michael Burke, said not supporting Comic Relief had been its policy for the past 15 years.

"We have advised the schools not to raise money for Comic Relief this year simply because, in the past, money raised has gone to agencies supporting abortion," he said.

"The organisation has not been able to satisfy us that no money raised by our schools would go towards acts of abortion, which is against the ethos of the Catholic Church.

"Some Catholic schools in the UK have won assurances from Comic Relief that any money they contribute will not go to fund abortions and are supporting the cause.

"We have also asked that no money raised support abortions, but they could not give us that assurance.

Celebrities at the launch of this year's Comic Relief appeal

"The Catholic faith holds all life as sacred. We are anti-abortion."

Later though Bishop Jabal� told BBC Wales that two years ago the bishops in England and Wales had a meeting to discuss their concerns over Comic Relief and where the money was going, but said they were satisfied with the evidence that Comic Relief provided.

As a result, the bishops said they have no concerns over Comic Relief at all.

The 11 March telethon marks the 20th anniversary of Comic Relief, which has raised �337m so far.

It aims to tackle poverty and social injustice, with 40% of the money raised allocated to work in the UK and 60% to Africa.

A spokesman for Comic Relief said: "In 2000 we opened dialogue with the Catholic bishops of England and Wales to help communicate the facts.