Brendan O’ReganThis week’s programming provided a great platform for religious discussion, writes Brendan O’Regan
I’ve often thought that among the religious stories most neglected by the media are the issue of young people and the Church and that of the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Thankfully both got an airing last week.
Joe Duffy’s Spirit Level (RTÉ One) last Sunday lunchtime looked at young people’s attitude to religion. There was the obligatory vox pop which featured no orthodox Christian, but views that I suspect are typical among many young people – one girl said she favoured “the science side of the argument” (!) another believed in a “higher power” but not “the Catholic God”.
A young Muslim girl was the most enthusiastic about religion. This was followed by a most impressive interview with two young Catholic women, Hannah McCauley and Meabh Carlin. Their good humour an enthusiasm for their Catholic faith beamed out the attractive joy of the Gospel. Then they became even more inspiring and moving with their beautiful original song My Lord, My God.
There followed an on-the-couch discussion that was interesting but less than comprehensive. Church of Ireland Youth Worker Greg Fromholz thought the Church had to be re-imagined for modern times and thought young people’s trust needed to be rebuilt. He wasn’t bothered by falling numbers in the churches as he thought the churches could do with being smaller in order to regroup and re-think their mission. Mairead Healy of Future Voices Ireland worked with young people, felt it was a shame that young people were alienated from the Church and thought the Church’s stand on the marriage referendum had added to that alienation. Sam Najjair had gone to Libya to fight in the ‘Arab Spring’ revolution and as a Muslim he reckoned he was more associated with the Churches than the atheists or alienated youth were. Barry Singleton was described as “medical student and atheist”.
He was drawn to an atheistic type of Buddhism, but was open to changing his mind if someone came back from the dead! I liked Joe Dufy’s question to him – “Isn’t that the warmth of religion that it does help young people to flourish and to grow?”
Last weekend’s Sunday Spirit (RTÉ Radio 1 Extra) featured Michael Comyn interviewing Dr John Newton of Aid to the Church in Need, whose concern is the persecution of Christians around the world, the Middle East in particular. The group’s recent report painted a bleak picture, especially relating to the specific targeting of Christians (and indeed moderate Muslims) by the likes of ISIS and Boko Haram.
The same story was also taken up on Sunday Sequence (BBC Radio Ulster). Canon Andrew White, the former Vicar of Bagdad told similar stories of persecution, in Iraq especially. He pointed out how Christian refugees from Iraq were in worse conditions even than those Syrian refugees who were cared for in formal refugee camps.
Back on the drama front, when it launched first I praised many aspects of TV 3’s soap Red Rock, and so I was glad to see it winning at the Irish Film and Television Awards last week. I hadn’t kept up with it but I thought I’d check back in to last Saturday night’s omnibus edition – and sure enough, though not flawless, the standard was still high. The tone was light, but serious, and common issues were dealt with. You had to feel for the poor man who was being harassed by nasty neighbours. The acting was confident and easy-going throughout, and it certainly put the glossier Clean Break (RTÉ 1) in the shade. That Wexford-based drama finished last week and I caught up with the final episode on repeat last Saturday night.
With such a bunch of unpleasant characters it was hard to care what happened to any of them.
The inconclusive ending was suggestive of the door being left open for a second season. Close the door please and give the undoubted talent involved something better to do.
Another drama I had reviewed a few weeks ago came to a tense and frightening end last Thursday – Midwinter of the Spirit (UTV Ireland). It was a dark and disturbing drama, with demons, exorcism and murder most foul, but it was squarely on the side of goodness, reconciliation, Christianity and the Church.
The final episode left no doubt as to where the victory lay, as Vicar Merrily Watkins tackled some real and personal demons.
Pick of the Week
The Class of 39: The Teacher Who Defied Hitler
RTĖ One, Saturday, October 31, 1:20pm
In the mid-1930’s, a Jewish school blossomed in the heart of Nazi Berlin. Why did the Nazis allow it to thrive?
Mass
RTĖ One, Sunday, November 1, 10am
A solemn celebration of the Eucharist commemorating the 1,400th Anniversary of St Columban will be broadcast from St Columban’s Chapel, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co. Meath on the Feast of All Saints.
THREE WISE WOMEN
EWTN, Monday, November 2, 12pm, also Wednesday, 9pm
Laura Keynes, a descendant of Charles Darwin, shares her moving story from a place of unbelief to embracing Christ and His Church.