M
mrjval
Guest
I know I’m late to the party, but I just finished watching HBO’s “The Young Pope”. I’ve also seen a few CAF topics here from users giving their opinion on the show. Firstly, I must say that you have to watch the entire series to give a fair critique of it. Fr. Damian Ference of the Word on Fire Blog wrote a wonderful piece on it called “There’s Something for (Almost) Everyone in ‘The Young Pope’’” where he states that “one of the major themes of The Young Pope is that things are not as they first seem.” He also goes on to mention that many fall into this trap of judging the show before they have all the facts.
That being said, I must say that the show isn’t for everyone. Not because some might be offended, but because (as I’ve seen before) many will be quick to judge and nitpick rather than to truly dissect it and seek understand it. I had a hard time watching the first few episodes. If it wasn’t for Fr. Damian Ference and his spoiler-free review, I probably would have given up on the show by the third episode. I am very glad I stuck with it to the very end. There are some gratuitous sex scenes that aren’t needed to move the plot forward. Just simply skip forward if it makes you uncomfortable or leads you to a near occasion of sin. The show has its flaws (as expected since it’s not an infallible work) but it’s respectful to the faith. It touches on very real topics from homosexuality in the clergy to pedophilia to sexual immorality among other things. Amazingly enough, the show does not praise them. The fictional Pope of the show (Pius XIII) constantly states how problematic they are.
In summary, I’d say watch it if you aren’t easily triggered, if you are slow to anger, if you seek to understand, and if you can withstand a harsh criticism of your own flaws. I say that last one because you will most likely find a character in the story that you relate to and you may find yourself being biased and defending that character as a facade for defending your flaw (if that makes any sense). If it helps, I’d say pray the prayer of St. Francis if you find yourself struggling to get through the show. Especially the part that says “[Oh Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek] to be understood as to understand.”
God bless and enjoy the show for what it is if you decide to take on the challenge of watching it.
That being said, I must say that the show isn’t for everyone. Not because some might be offended, but because (as I’ve seen before) many will be quick to judge and nitpick rather than to truly dissect it and seek understand it. I had a hard time watching the first few episodes. If it wasn’t for Fr. Damian Ference and his spoiler-free review, I probably would have given up on the show by the third episode. I am very glad I stuck with it to the very end. There are some gratuitous sex scenes that aren’t needed to move the plot forward. Just simply skip forward if it makes you uncomfortable or leads you to a near occasion of sin. The show has its flaws (as expected since it’s not an infallible work) but it’s respectful to the faith. It touches on very real topics from homosexuality in the clergy to pedophilia to sexual immorality among other things. Amazingly enough, the show does not praise them. The fictional Pope of the show (Pius XIII) constantly states how problematic they are.
In summary, I’d say watch it if you aren’t easily triggered, if you are slow to anger, if you seek to understand, and if you can withstand a harsh criticism of your own flaws. I say that last one because you will most likely find a character in the story that you relate to and you may find yourself being biased and defending that character as a facade for defending your flaw (if that makes any sense). If it helps, I’d say pray the prayer of St. Francis if you find yourself struggling to get through the show. Especially the part that says “[Oh Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek] to be understood as to understand.”
God bless and enjoy the show for what it is if you decide to take on the challenge of watching it.