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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Catholic group calls out Tim Cook, Apple TV+ for show's 'Eucharistic desecration'
A Catholic group is calling out Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple TV+ in a letter demanding an apology and removal of a "Eucharistic desecration" scene in one of its shows. "As the nation's largest lay Catholic advocacy organization, we write to express our concern about a blasphemous anti-Catholic scene in the Apple TV+ show, Your Friends and Neighbors," CatholicVote said in a Monday letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. "Episode 6 of the series depicts two characters breaking into a Catholic church," the letter, signed by Josh Mercer, vice president of CatholicVote, reads. "The male character steals Eucharistic hosts from the tabernacle, which they eat as a snack. The man flippantly remarks about how they are eating the Body of Christ. The man feeds a host to the female character and feigns blessing her. Then they begin engaging in romantic activity in the pews before the pastor walks in, and they flee the church." Virginia Bishop Says Altar Desecration Is latest In 'Increasing Global Trend Of Attacks' On Catholic Church Mercer, who is also requesting a meeting with Cook to discuss how the company can promote "true diversity and tolerance," called the scene "sacrilegious," and asked Cook if he would be tolerant of similar content mocking the Islamic or Jewish religion. CatholicVote's website called it a "shocking depiction of Eucharistic desecration." "As Catholics, we have believed for 2,000 years that the Eucharist is not simply a piece of bread," Mercer wrote. "It is the body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. The practice of taking communion was instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper. Receiving the Eucharist at Mass is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, 'the source and summit of the Christian life.'" Read On The Fox News App He also highlighted a statement on Apple's website, which appears to value supporting those from various walks of life, stating, "At Apple, we create a culture … with a North Star of dignity, respect, and opportunity for everyone. Because we're not all the same. And that remains one of our greatest strengths." Mercer also pointed to a 2015 op-ed from Cook where he opposed discrimination against those who provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Cook wrote that, "I have great reverence for religious freedom… Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love." Catholicvote Calls Out Harris For Photo With Controversial Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence Drag Nuns CatholicVote has also launched a petition with 169,596 signatures and counting asking signers to tell Apple leadership that they "won't stand for blasphemy." "Apple's shameless depiction of blatant sacrilege inside a Catholic Church is a direct attack on what Catholics hold most dear," Mercer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We solemnly believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ; this fundamental truth is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith," he added. "We cannot stand by while Christ and His Church are casually mocked in the name of 'entertainment.' We call on Catholics to join us in demanding that Apple take down the blasphemous episode and issue an apology. We await Apple's response to our letter and hope it makes amends for its offensive actions." Fox News Digital reached out to Cook and Apple for comment, but did not immediately receive a article source: Catholic group calls out Tim Cook, Apple TV+ for show's 'Eucharistic desecration'
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Catholic group calls out Tim Cook, Apple TV+ for show's 'Eucharistic desecration'
A Catholic group is calling out Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple TV+ in a letter demanding an apology and removal of a "Eucharistic desecration" scene in one of its shows. "As the nation's largest lay Catholic advocacy organization, we write to express our concern about a blasphemous anti-Catholic scene in the Apple TV+ show, Your Friends and Neighbors," CatholicVote said in a Monday letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. "Episode 6 of the series depicts two characters breaking into a Catholic church," the letter, signed by Josh Mercer, vice president of CatholicVote, reads. "The male character steals Eucharistic hosts from the tabernacle, which they eat as a snack. The man flippantly remarks about how they are eating the Body of Christ. The man feeds a host to the female character and feigns blessing her. Then they begin engaging in romantic activity in the pews before the pastor walks in, and they flee the church." Mercer, who is also requesting a meeting with Cook to discuss how the company can promote "true diversity and tolerance," called the scene "sacrilegious," and asked Cook if he would be tolerant of similar content mocking the Islamic or Jewish religion. CatholicVote's website called it a "shocking depiction of Eucharistic desecration." "As Catholics, we have believed for 2,000 years that the Eucharist is not simply a piece of bread," Mercer wrote. "It is the body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. The practice of taking communion was instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper. Receiving the Eucharist at Mass is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, 'the source and summit of the Christian life.'" He also highlighted a statement on Apple's website, which appears to value supporting those from various walks of life, stating, "At Apple, we create a culture … with a North Star of dignity, respect, and opportunity for everyone. Because we're not all the same. And that remains one of our greatest strengths." Mercer also pointed to a 2015 op-ed from Cook where he opposed discrimination against those who provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Cook wrote that, "I have great reverence for religious freedom… Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love." CatholicVote has also launched a petition with 169,596 signatures and counting asking signers to tell Apple leadership that they "won't stand for blasphemy." "Apple's shameless depiction of blatant sacrilege inside a Catholic Church is a direct attack on what Catholics hold most dear," Mercer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We solemnly believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ; this fundamental truth is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith," he added. "We cannot stand by while Christ and His Church are casually mocked in the name of 'entertainment.' We call on Catholics to join us in demanding that Apple take down the blasphemous episode and issue an apology. We await Apple's response to our letter and hope it makes amends for its offensive actions." Fox News Digital reached out to Cook and Apple for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump claims credit for new American Pope Leo's election - despite having nothing to do with Conclave
Donald Trump has suggested he played a role in Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV's election as the new pontiff. That's despite the U.S. president having nothing to do with the traditional Conclave process that selects a new pope. In a Truth Social rant against ABC News Sunday night, Trump sought credit for the election of Pope Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost. 'So funny to watch old timer Martha Raditz on ABC Fake News (the Slopadopolus show!) this morning, blurt out that, effectively, Pope Leo's selection had nothing to do with Donald Trump,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'It came out of nowhere, but it was on her Trump Deranged Mind.' Trump added that he 'did WIN the Catholic Vote, by a lot' and called on Disney CEO Bob Iger to do something about the 'losers and haters he's got on his low-rated shows'. The president's comments came hours before the new Pope gave his first press conference Monday morning, calling for an end to 'loud, forceful communication'. In an address to media representatives in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the new pontiff issued a call for unity after he was met with lengthy applause from thousands of journalists. Leo called on the world to 'disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred'. 'Let us free it from aggression,' he continued. 'We do not need loud forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice. 'Let us disarm words. Let us disarm words and we will help the world disarm. Disarming communication will allow us to share events of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity.' Leo, who has previously been critical of the anti-immigration narrative pushed by the MAGA right, was elected as the first Pope from North America during a 24-hour Conclave last week. His appointment has been met with backlash from MAGA loyalists, with Laura Loomer taking shots at the 'anti-Trump Marxist'. In the run-up to his election on Thursday as the 267th pope, the then-cardinal Prevost shared an article from a Catholic publication in February with the headline: 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.' Days earlier, Vance had cited a Christian tenet about prioritizing care for those around as justification for the Trump administration's anti-immigration stance. Before Trump's first election in 2016, Leo also posted to X a Washington Post op-ed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, with the headline, 'Why Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.'
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Pope Francis death: Ultra-conservatives are pushing for a Pope like them: Why it might not happen
After enduring a Pope for more than a decade whom some saw as damaging to the faith, American conservatives think this might be their moment. 'A large number of American conservative Catholics would basically dream of having Cardinal Burke as the next Pope, but they're disconnected to reality,' said Alejandro Bermúdez, a long-time figure in American conservative Catholic media who is consulting for the news site Catholic Vote. A senior Vatican official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to frame internal discussions dismissed Burke and Sarah – and candidates like them – out of hand. 'There is no space for them in the [minds of] the vast majority of the cardinals. They've got zero chance.' Of Turkson, a senior cleric who speaks six languages and is a favourite of traditionalists, the official noted that his removal by Pope Francis from a senior position in 2021 appeared to diminish his chances. Several other Vatican-watchers agreed. The Reverend Thomas Reese, an American priest who has written several books about the inner workings of the Catholic Church and has closely followed papal conclaves, called reports of an ultraconservative front-runner 'nonsense'. Some 80% of the cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis, Reese told the Washington Post, 'and they are not going to elect someone who is then going to stand up and say that the Francis papacy was a disaster and we're going back to the old church. That is not going to happen'. Reese said he thinks cardinals will look this time for a moderate. But what does that word mean? To some US conservatives, it means backing off things that seem to demote or dismiss traditional practices or doctrine: removing limitations Pope Francis put on the Latin Mass; refraining from things like establishing special policies around blessing LGBTQ couples; no futzing around with rules and traditions – such as appointing so many cardinals that the number is now over the norm. The Reverend Robert Sirico, a Michigan-based priest-commentator who went from same-sex marriage advocate to free-market conservative, said he thinks most US conservatives want a compromise on matters like the traditional Latin Mass, the ancient form of Catholic worship that Pope Francis strictly limited in 2021, saying it was becoming a sign of rebellion against the modern church. The Mass is said in Latin with the priest facing away from the congregation. 'Overall, conservative Catholics would just like some clarity and theological substance from Rome,' he wrote in an email to the Post. 'I have heard from 'folks in the pew' that they would also appreciate clear theological teaching on a host of matters (not all related to the hot-button issues) rather than what appears to have been an obsession with politics.' Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a long-time Francis critic, said it was inappropriate to separate cardinals into 'these wrong categories, between conservative and liberal. Because Jesus didn't found two wings [of the church] ... there's one church and the church is united in the faith in Jesus Christ. And there is no conservative baptism or the progressive baptism,' he said in an interview with the Post. Yet some senior church conservatives have been extremely vocal in lobbying before the conclave, seeing the coming election as crucial to their bid to redirect the church after 12 years of Pope Francis' 'open door,' through which he reached out to groups including LGBTQ+ people and divorced and remarried Catholics. Some relatively conservative cardinals are considered serious candidates, led by Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary. But Erdo was never seen as part of the anti-Pope Francis set of archconservative bishops and cardinals who were extremely vocal in their criticism of the Pope, and who Pope Francis, in his last years, began to punish through demotions and removal of perks. Marco Politi, a long-time Vatican commentator, told the Post that 'behind the scenes', the 'low-level helpers of the conservatives are busy' promoting the idea around the conclave that Pope Francis' papacy was 'a disaster', he said. The point is to 'intimidate the reformers. We are in the first stage of the manoeuvres.' 'As we say in Italy, 'It's just tricks for the stupid',' Politi said, in response to the circulation of names like Sarah and Burke. The promotion of conservative candidates from some corners started almost immediately after Pope Francis' death was announced. 'Meet Cardinal Robert Sarah, who's in the running to be the next Pontiff. He's conservative, pro-life, anti-woke,' far-right influencer Ian Miles Cheong wrote on X on April 21, the day Pope Francis died. 'Already Cardinal Robert Sarah is trending,' The Pillar, a popular US Catholic news site, wrote of the Guinean cleric who strongly opposes priestly blessings of same-gender couples, noting the uptick in chatter while downplaying Sarah's prospects. Since then, some outlets have also sought to link Burke and President Donald Trump – apparently based on previous, flattering statements Burke has made about Trump, but also absent any evidence that the President has expressed a papal preference. Messages left for the White House press office as to the President's views on the conclave, and Burke, weren't returned. Social media campaigns are also running rampant. A 2019 video of one of the leading liberal contenders – Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines – singing John Lennon's ballad Imagine has gone viral. Some conservatives have shared it as evidence that Tagle is unworthy of being selected Pope because of the song's lyrics, which include the lines 'Imagine there's no heaven ... and no religion, too'. In pre-conclave meetings among cardinals that began last week – known as congregations – some conservatives have been lobbying for a traditionalist Pope. Bishop Athanasius Schneider, a conservative auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, has been advocating for a leader free from 'the materialistic, morally depraved and anti-Christian globalist agenda of this world' with a willingness to defend 'the integrity of ... Church discipline'. 'May all true sons and daughters of the Church implore the miracle of the election of a new Pope, who will be fully Catholic, fully Apostolic and fully Roman,' Schneider wrote in an open letter.
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Ultraconservatives are pushing for a pope like them. It might not happen.
Some archconservatives are campaigning to propel one of their own to the forefront of discussions over Francis's successor. Burke is among those whose name has placed high on some circulating lists, for unspecified reasons. Other hard-line conservatives, including Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea and Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana have even managed to land among the favorites with the gambling firm William Hill. But close Church-watchers say the rumor mill about a hard-right post-Francis turn rather reflects the built-up longings of a small but passionate, devoted and loud segment of the American church. After enduring a pope for more than a decade that some saw as damaging to the faith, American conservatives think this might be their moment. Advertisement 'A large number of American conservative Catholics would basically dream of having Cardinal Burke as the next pope, but they're disconnected to reality,' said Alejandro Bermúdez, a longtime figure in American conservative Catholic media who is consulting to the news site Catholic Vote. Advertisement A senior Vatican official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to frame internal discussions dismissed Burke and Sarah - and candidates like them - out of hand. 'There is no space for them in the [minds of] the vast majority of the cardinals. They've got zero chance.' Of Turkson, a senior cleric who speaks six languages and is a favorite of traditionalists, the official noted that his removal by Francis from a senior position in 2021 appeared to diminish his chances. Several other Vatican-watchers agreed. The Rev. Thomas Reese, an American priest who has written several books about the inner workings of the Catholic Church and has closely followed papal conclaves, called reports of an ultraconservative front-runner 'nonsense.' Some 80 percent of the cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis, Reese told The Washington Post, 'and they are not going to elect someone who is then going to stand up and say that the Francis papacy was a disaster and we're going back to the old church. That is not going to happen.' Reese said he thinks cardinals will look this time for a moderate. But what does that word mean? To some U.S. conservatives, it means backing off things that seem to demote or dismiss traditional practices or doctrine: remove limitations Francis put in place on the Latin Mass; stop doing things like establishing special policies around blessing LGBTQ couples; stop futzing around with the rules and traditions - such as appointing so many cardinals that the number is now over the norm. The Rev. Robert Sirico, a Michigan-based priest-commentator who went from same-sex marriage advocate to free-market conservative, said he thinks most U.S. conservatives want a compromise on things like the traditional Latin Mass, the ancient form of Catholic worship which Francis strictly limited in 2021, saying it was becoming a sign of rebellion against the modern church. The Mass is said in Latin with the priest facing away from the congregation. Advertisement 'Overall, conservative Catholics would just like some clarity and theological substance from Rome,' he wrote in an email to The Post. 'I have heard from 'folks in the pew' that they would also appreciate clear theological teaching on a host of matters (not all related to the hot button issues) rather than what appears to have been an obsession with politics.' Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a longtime Francis critic, said it was inappropriate to separate cardinals into 'these wrong categories, between conservative and liberal. Because Jesus didn't found two wings [of the church] … there's one church, and the church is united in the faith in Jesus Christ. And there is no conservative baptism or the progressive baptism,' he said in an interview with The Post. Yet some senior church conservatives have been extremely vocal in lobbying ahead of the conclave, seeing the coming election as crucial to their bid to redirect the church following 12 years of Francis's 'open door,' in which he reached out to groups including LGBTQ+ people, and divorced and remarried Catholics. Some relatively conservative cardinals are considered serious candidates, led by Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary. But Erdo was never seen as part of the anti-Francis set of archconservative bishops and cardinals who were extremely vocal in their criticism of the pope, and who Francis, in his last years, began to punish through demotions and removal of perks. Advertisement Marco Politi, a longtime Vatican commentator, told The Post that 'behind the scenes' the 'low-level helpers of the conservatives are busy' promoting the idea around the conclave that Francis's papacy was 'a disaster,' he said. The point is to 'intimidate the reformers. We are in the first stage of the maneuvers.' 'As we say in Italy, 'It's just tricks for the stupid,'' Politi said, in response to the circulation of names like Sarah and Burke. The promotion of conservative candidates, from some corners, started almost immediately after Francis's death was announced. 'Meet Cardinal Robert Sarah, who's in the running to be the next Pontiff. He's conservative, pro-life, anti-woke,' far-right influencer Ian Miles Cheong wrote on X on April 21, the day Francis died. 'Already Cardinal Robert Sarah is trending,' the Pillar, a popular U.S. Catholic news site, wrote of the Guinean cleric who strongly opposes priestly blessings of same-gender couples, noting the uptick in chatter while downplaying Sarah's prospects. Since then, some outlets have also sought to link Burke and President Donald Trump - apparently based on previous, flattering statements Burke has made about Trump, but also absent any evidence the president has expressed a papal preference. Messages left for the White House press office as to the president's views on the conclave, and Burke, weren't returned. Social media campaigns are also running rampant. A 2019 video of one of the leading liberal contenders - Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines - singing John Lennon's ballad 'Imagine' has also gone viral. Some conservatives have shared it as evidence Tagle is unworthy of being selected pope because of the song's lyrics, which include the lines 'Imagine there's no heaven … and no religion, too.' Advertisement In pre-conclave meetings among cardinals that began last week - known as congregations - some conservatives have been lobbying for a traditionalist pope. Bishop Athanasius Schneider, a conservative auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, has been advocating for a leader free from 'the materialistic, morally depraved and anti-Christian globalist agenda of this world' with a willingness to defend 'the integrity of … Church discipline.' 'May all true sons and daughters of the Church implore the miracle of the election of a new Pope, who will be fully Catholic, fully Apostolic and fully Roman,' Schneider wrote in an open letter. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report.
