Brendan O’Regan
It’s good to see a high-profile drama series that takes religion seriously and doesn’t fall into too many lazy stereotypes.
In Falling (Channel 4, Tuesdays and Wednesdays) Keeley Hawes excels as Sr Anna, who entered the convent at age 16 against the wishes of her mother. Twenty years later, a chance encounter with a young priest throws her life into disarray. So far, four episodes in, I find it absorbing, well-acted, with a grippingly reflective pace. It is sharply scripted by Jack Thorne who also wrote the award-winning Adolescence. The show has a lot to say about vocations to the priesthood and religious life – how it starts and troubles on the way. Within religious life and beyond there are many insights into relationships in a broad sense, with joy, doubts and dark moments.
There are themes of mission, shame and service, much praying and sacrament, with some impressive and moving scenes – for example Fr David giving the sacrament of the sick to an elderly parishioner who considers herself ‘vile’. There are several intriguing and at times amusing Confession scenes, more to add to my collection (long story). You get the impression that Fr David is bored with the routine sins, but has trouble getting a wife abuser to come clean when he turns up looking for absolution without wanting to confess. In last Wednesday’s episode there was an intense and challenging scene where he visited the abuser in prison.
In another scene, Sr Anna is surprised when her priest didn’t have a more striking reaction when she confesses her “immoral thoughts”. He just says “Go on” …. what is huge for her is routine for him! There is a brief but touching scene in flashback between young Anna and her father as she is about to leave for the convent. Scenes relating to a young girl’s unwanted pregnancy are handled beautifully.
I felt we needed to know more about why Sr Anna joined so young, and even more so I found her sudden impulse to leave it all after 20 years to strain credibility. The theological discussions are interesting, though perhaps a little shoehorned into earlier conversations. There are stereotypes in some minor roles – e.g. the imperious bishop, Sr Anna’s sour mother and the imposing abbess, though the women are softened somewhat. Overall, the drama is respectful of religious faith and ritual, and of genuine humanity. It is hugely impressive on an artistic level, with scenes echoing each other, conversations where what is not said is as interesting as what is not, silences that are full of meaning. The themes and occasional bad language make it adult drama, in the best sense.
Meanwhile, on Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, Wednesday), the topic was RTÉ’s latest financial controversy. A lot of callers were critical of the station, but one, Sandra, said she had paid her licence because she believed in public service broadcasting, but it was reluctantly because of her dissatisfaction with the way RTÉ ignored certain stories, for example a recent controversy over mixed-sex toilets in new school buildings. I had seen this controversy online but hadn’t noticed it making any impact in mainstream media.
By raising the issue, in an entirely appropriate context, Sandra succeeded in bringing it into mainstream. Presenter Kieran Cuddihy wondered why other media outlets had not covered the story. but Sandra said she was on just to talk about RTÉ. Fair enough, but I wondered if the answer was that all or most media were working in an ideological bubble, where gender critical views were not acceptable.
Cuddihy said he didn’t know about this story (“maybe that’s a poor reflection on me”), but now that he very definitely has, will he cover it and allow a variety of views? I’m not sure if the decision is his, or that of his editor, but let’s wait and see, for a short while. It seems like an ideal issue for this programme to explore.
There was much anticipation leading up to the release of Pope Leo’s encyclical on the perils and potential of AI. I came across a very positive item on BBC News last Monday from Religious Affairs Editor Aleem Maqpool. Among the issues expected to be flagged were human dignity, AI driving warfare, the replacement of people’s jobs and indeed of human interaction.
As regards the impact, he said the Vatican was “punching above its weight”!
Beyond the Machine – Josef Pieper and the Challenge of AI
EWTN, Saturday, May 30, 2pm and Sunday, May 31, 7am
Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper gives viewers a framework for understanding the challenges of Artificial Intelligence and reclaiming their humanity.
Pentecost – Keeping the Faith
RTÉ One, Saturday, May 30, 5.35pm
A short documentary following Orthodox Christians from across Ireland visiting the country’s only Orthodox Monastery in Shannonbridge, Co. Roscommon, for a joyful celebration of Pentecost.
Witness: Fergal Keane’s Journey of Hope
BBC Two, Tuesday, June 2, 11pm
BBC journalist Fergal Keane has spent 40 years witnessing the worst that humanity can do – genocide, war, and famine. So why is he full of hope?