From the Catholic League
New NBC Show Takes Shot at Priests
February 1, 2016
Bill Donohue comments on a slur against priests in NBC’s new show, “You, Me and the Apocalypse”:
“My job’s to prove they felt up kids …”
That’s how “Father Jude,” the foul-mouthed priest character in NBC’s new show, “You, Me and the Apocalypse,” describes his role as “Devil’s Advocate,” or Promoter Fidei, in the Church’s sainthood investigation process.
This bigoted “laugh line” about Catholic priests merited barely a mention in reviews of the show’s very first episode, which aired last Thursday night. Anti-Catholic stereotypes are so accepted by our cultural elite that they are either defended or simply ignored—never condemned!
It’s too soon to judge whether this show will join the list of anti-Catholic “entertainment” fare that has emanated from Hollywood in recent decades. We’ll withhold judgment for now. But it’s not off to a good start.
Contact Nikki Lichterman, Senior Press Manager: nikki.lichterman@nbcuni.com
Phone: 212-371-3191
E-mail: pr@catholicleague.org
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But that actually is part of the job of the promotor fidei. I saw the show. You could say it’s not a flattering portrayal of the priest but the Church isn’t portrayed as a bad guy either. His sidekick is a faithful nun. Withholding judgment is the right call.
Um… I hate to point this out… but there isn’t any “devil’s advocate” anymore. The job has been gotten rid of. The “promotor fidei” is just a sort of committee president now.
” In Chapter 2 of Divini Perfectionis Magister, John Paul II says:
The Sacred Congregation is to have one Promotor of the Faith or Prelate Theologian. His responsibility is: 1. to preside over the meeting of the theologians, with the right to vote;
2. to prepare the report on the meeting itself; 3. to be present as an expert at the meeting of the Cardinals and Bishops, although without the right to vote.”
So is this a historical fiction show, or near-future science fiction, or what?
My wife and I watched the first several episodes when it aired in the UK, I’m pretty sure the priest and his “faithful” sidekick end up in bed together. In fact I know they do, whether anything goes on is beyond me because we stopped watching at that point. I wanted to like this show, I really did, but in the end, everything turns into sex apparently.
The stereotype is accepted because it is based in a very large base of empirical evidence. I spent time as a young man in Catholic seminary and when I tell people that I get tarred with the same brush. It isn’t going to go away for a long time. The way you respond to those barbs matters. I would suggest sorrow rather than anger is the more appropriate place to begin.
I started to take this seriously, then I saw the name “Bill Donohue,” and I realize that THAT was the real laugh line.
Well, Crux gave the show rave reviews!
I agree with Post-Cath, sorrow is the best approach. The irony is, the media revels in the child sex abuse stories but promotes the homosexual agenda–as if there’s no connection between the 2! (Try saying that on NCR, see if your post doesn’t get deleted!)
NBC is still on the air?