Last night’s “Nothing Sacred” was described by William Donohue this way:
“There were aspects of last night’s edition of ‘Nothing Sacred’ that deserve merit, but it remains obvious that this show has an agenda.
“In this third episode, we meet a Father Ray who shows genuine pastoral care when he seeks to bring family members together. Similarly, his attempt to appease Joe, an elderly traditionalist, by having the wake for his wife in the family home, is priestly in the best sense of the word. Nevertheless, the Catholic League’s central objections were not relieved.
“The purpose of this show is political: it is designed to manipulate public opinion against Church loyalists while endearing itself to those who seek to upend the status quo. A positive spin is put on dissident Catholics and a negative spin on traditional Catholics.
“For example, early on in the show Joe is branded a bigot by Father Ray. Curiously, the viewer is never presented with evidence of his bigotry, but the impression that traditionalists are bigots is well-established. Joe, of course, is shown as an angry orthodox man for whom Catholicism is nothing but ritual, Latin music, incense, rote prayer, etc. In short, traditional Catholics make a fetish of external observances but do not put their faith into action; only Catholics like Father Ray do.
“This is precisely why Father Ray can afford to reject Church teachings on sexuality: he’s the real McCoy, or, as was said last night, the kind of priest who has replaced Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. It also explains why Father Ray can laugh with Joe’s daughters-at the wake of their mother no less-about how they once caught their mother and father having sex and still be a ‘good’ priest; he can even joke about sex as being ‘the big Catholic secret.’
“Those behind ‘Nothing Sacred’ are less writers and producers than they are social engineers, and that is why the Catholic League will continue its protest.”
