WHAT did you say? Ballykissangel. It's a TV show. I first saw it several years ago on PBS, and hadn't seen it since, until PBS put it back on about a year ago. Originally produced about 20 years ago.
What's my point? It's a tongue-in-cheek series made in Ireland, about a village where everyone is Catholic, and the Priests are the main characters. I don't think it could have been done in the US; we are too self-conscious when it comes to religion.
Ballykissangel's wit comes from many an inside joke about the Church;
not in disrespect, but from those things that arise in the day-to-day life
of Catholics.
In this show, Priests are actual human beings with opinions, angers, and prejudices, like everyone else. The village contains devout believers, lukewarm believers, and some who have an outright dislike of the Church.
Some of the themes that cracked me up were:
-The electronic Confessional with rotating doors which did not work.
-The kid who started a Confession Website where, for a fee, you
could email your sins and be absolved online.
-The statue who started crying "real tears", bringing up a lagging
Mass attendance.
The best line was the older priest's answer to the younger one's new suggestion: "What do you think this is, a democracy?"
Okay, it all may sound silly to you, but still, catch it a few times.
It's a good laugh, and sometimes brings up some good questions.
Here in Baltimore, it's on at 3:40 on PBS CHannel 22.
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