This drives me crazy for two reasons.
I haven’t seen the actual piece but L’Osservatore Romano seems to have declared that Homer Simpson is Catholic. I know. I’m getting this from the MSM so it’s possible it’s being misreported but the folks at that newspaper do seem to write some crazy things sometimes. This brings me to my second reason this kind of thing drives me crazy. The media is predictably running reports saying that THE VATICAN has decreed the Simpson’s to be Catholic.
The way the mainstream media is portraying this you’d think the Vatican had decreed this with the same importance as if the Pope had infallibly stated this after years of studies and councils.
The official Vatican newspaper has declared that beer-swilling, doughnut-loving Homer Simpson and son Bart are Catholics — and what’s more, it says that parents should not be afraid to let their children watch “the adventures of the little guys in yellow.”
“Few people know it, and he does everything to hide it. But it’s true: Homer J. Simpson is Catholic”, the Osservatore Romano newspaper said in an article on Sunday headlined “Homer and Bart are Catholics.”
The newspaper cited a study by a Jesuit priest of a 2005 episode of the show called “The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star”. That study concludes that “The Simpsons” is “among the few TV programs for kids in which Christian faith, religion and questions about God are recurrent themes.”
The Simpsons pray before meals, and “in its own way, believes in the beyond,” the newspaper quoted the Jesuit study as saying.
This is just one of those ridiculous stories that the media uses to mock the Church. And sometimes the writers at L’Osservatore Romano help them.
October 19, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I thought Homer was Catholic this whole time…
that's why Flanders drives him out of his mind.
http://www.gametrailers.com/user-movie/simpsons-protestant-vs-catholic/62010
October 19, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Well, there was an episode where both Bart and Homer converted (Liam Neeson was the guest voice as the priest who encouraged their conversion).
October 19, 2010 at 9:26 pm
That episode was pretty funny. Especially the Protestant vs. Catholic heaven. Although, I believe the episode ended with Bart starting his own religion of tolerance, so maybe the Jesuit didn't study this episode all the way to the end.
October 19, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Nevermind Marge telling Bart, "Nobody's going Catholic. Three children is enough, thank you."
Seems pretty clear they aren't.
On the other hand, who cares? It's a cartoon.
October 19, 2010 at 9:42 pm
My roommate posted this story to his Facebook last night and I promptly responded "Just another stupid Jesuit saying stupid things," which I admit is not a very charitable response.
I had the same thought though. Why does the media assume that things printed by the Vatican newspaper reflect in any way the thoughts of the central authority of the Church? Just because someone happens to be a priest and happens to live in Rome does not mean he speaks for Rome or the Vatican
October 19, 2010 at 9:47 pm
But seriously. Forget Pope Sixtus V and the Latin Vulgate. I want Protestants arguing about how the Pope's not infalliable because he officialy spoke of the religious presuasion of cartoon characters.
October 19, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Ryan said: "Although, I believe the episode ended with Bart starting his own religion of tolerance, so maybe the Jesuit didn't study this episode all the way to the end."
Or maybe the Jesuit did watch it all the way to the end. And agreed with Bart.
October 19, 2010 at 11:32 pm
"Although, I believe the episode ended with Bart starting his own religion of tolerance, so maybe the Jesuit didn't study this episode all the way to the end."
Yep. It ended on the usual "It's all Christianity." non-point.
"On the other hand, who cares? It's a cartoon."
Unfortunately this is a species of the "It's Just Fiction!" doctrine we heard with the DaVinci Code. Carl Olsen critiques here: http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/colson_justfiction1_mar05.asp
October 20, 2010 at 12:54 am
I think it fairly care when Bart's promoting the Religion of Tolerance they sure the hell ain't Catholic. But who needs to be tolerant… There is only one way.
October 20, 2010 at 1:31 am
Adam asks, "Why does the media assume that things printed by the Vatican newspaper reflect in any way the thoughts of the central authority of the Church?"
Because it's the Vatican's newspaper!
October 20, 2010 at 5:36 pm
The Simpsons Catholic? I thought they were Jewish?! Isn't Homer's dad named Abraham? LOL!
October 21, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Yes, Homer is Catholic. He and Bart converted in an episode. The rest of the family remains protestant. Watch the section, posted above. Its a hilarious dig at protestant ridiculousness.
October 22, 2010 at 8:15 am
I just eliminated an episode of the Simpson's from my son's iPod that mocked the Blessed Sacrament. It was an apparent spoof on "I Am Legend" with the whole zombie thing, and Bart is discovered to be the only one who is immune to becoming a zombie if bitten. So they take him to the "safe zone" where the people in charge say that everyone will have to "eat your flesh to be saved" and Marge replies something to the effect of "What kind of kooky religious cult says you have to eat the flesh and blood of their savior?" That's enough of the Simpson's for this family…done.