Defending the Faith in the Rabbit Hole of Social Media

I totally understand how the author felt! I spend most of my day blogging and sharing my blog posts on FB. I get into many such discussions.

From Catholic Stand

By Mary Ennis Meo

It was silly to comment on a Facebook post. I “went down the rabbit hole,” as my daughter sometimes says when one becomes too involved in a social media thread. Here’s how it happened:

I follow a few Catholic groups on Facebook, so when I saw the title, “Holy Orders,” I was captivated. I expected it might be a new book about vocations to the priesthood, from like-minded Catholics.

Mainstream Theater and Catholicism

My expectations changed when I saw the actual source of the post. It was from a nearby regional theater, announcing the public reading of a new play. After decades of working in the performing arts in local schools and community theater, I am wary of modern shows that deal with my Catholic faith. When contemporary plays from mainstream playwrights present Catholicism, they likely get something wrong. I’m sorry to say it about my fellow artists, many of whom are dear friends, but it’s true.

Consequently, when I read the story line about a middle-aged nun who goes against her order’s directives when she ministers to a poor parish, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Would this play simply be about a devout religious who serves the poor? Unfortunately, according to the summary given by the theater, it is not. The character of the nun actually “serves Mass” in the poor parish, because the diocese has ignored the parish’s request for a priest. The nun is disciplined by her superiors for her disobedience and then takes some time to decide whether this incident was a chance to pursue her true vocation as a Catholic priest.

Distorting Catholic Doctrine

I should have moved on, and scrolled past this post about an artistic work that distorts basic tenets of Catholic doctrine. Without having attended the event or read the script, I cannot know the full content of the text. The description provided, though, does show that the play considers the possibility of women’s vocation to the priesthood. The use of the word “serves” ambiguously describes the function that the nun completes at Mass. Since the summary says no priest is available, “serves Mass” apparently means what we would call, “celebrates Mass,” which we know is impossible without an ordained priest. More clearly, the play presents a Catholic diocese as ignoring the need of an impoverished parish.

With these elements in the show’s premise, the ensuing discussion in the script likely characterizes the Church as misguided and unenlightened, at best. Unless the action includes a conversion experience for the nun and a plot twist that shows the diocese dealing charitably with the poor parish after all, the play is problematic in its confusion of what constitutes a Mass, who can be a priest, and the Church’s pastoral charity.

Positive Influence of Movies in the Past

Actually, the plight of parishes without a pastor could make an excellent topic for a play. Imagine the good that such a work could do to raise awareness of the need for priests. It might inspire men to hear the call that modern society tends to muffle. That kind of positive influence happened in the last century, with movies that presented heroic priests who opened Boys Town or spirited nuns who kept St. Mary’s parish school alive. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry these days lacks this kind of inspiration, following instead the well-worn path of permissiveness and self-gratification.

Defending the Faith

Indeed, it would have been prudent to scroll on by. Nevertheless, I commented as any naïve Catholic wishing to defend the faith might. I wrote, “This story line shows a misunderstanding of Catholic teaching. No Catholic woman, much less a Catholic nun, has a vocation to be a priest. As a Catholic who has been deeply involved in the performing arts for all of my life, I am disappointed to see my Church misrepresented in the theater.”

The theater promptly thanked me for my comment. They invited me to come to the reading so that I could share my thoughts with the playwright. I would have liked to go, but I had rehearsal for the show I’m directing at our local Catholic school on the night of the event. I asked if there might be another opportunity to hear the script and give feedback. The theater’s openness to my attending and sharing truths of our faith heartened me.

The Real Kicker

It didn’t end there. The real kicker came a day later, not from the theater, but from one of our own, someone I would hope to be my ally. A reply to my comment appeared. The respondent, who identified herself as Catholic, respectfully disagreed with me. She reported that there are “devout Catholic woman priests” serving in parishes. She concluded that these women “were called to this vocation.”

What a disappointment to be erroneously corrected by a fellow Catholic. The woman who respectfully disagreed with me does not seem aware that a nun cannot say Mass. Does the average Catholic know that only an ordained priest can consecrate hosts to become the Blessed Sacrament, without which the ceremony is not a Mass? Parishes without a priest may have Communion at their Sunday liturgy, but it will be constituted of hosts consecrated during a Mass somewhere else.

We traditional Catholics know society doesn’t always get us. We expect the press, social media, and even the entire mainstream entertainment industry to misunderstand Catholic doctrine and unwittingly promote falsehoods about our faith. But when the sadly mistaken individual is Catholic, it is disheartening. On the other hand, how wonderful it is when Catholics can stand together defending the faith.

Down the Rabbit Hole

After fifteen years of experience with Facebook, I know enough not to continue this kind of conversation. It is truly the rabbit hole that my daughter laments. Still, I opted to respond to my virtual Catholic sister. I wrote, “I am sure there are devout Catholic women serving in parishes. They are either nuns or consecrated or lay women. The church has not ordained any women to the priesthood.”

Does it matter that I responded? My head says, probably not. My conscience is not quite settled that commenting at all on Facebook regarding this play was well-advised. My hope is that at least someone may be protected from confusion by reading the exchange between a secular theater taking a jab at the Church, a cradle Catholic, and a misinformed member of the faithful.