Apparitions review

Last month, I blogged on the controversial BBC drama Apparitions. Last Thursday, the sixth and final episode of the series about the life of an exorcist was aired.

Having given a cautiously positive review about it two or three episodes in, I can safely say that, by the penultimate edition, the plot had become a little far fetched and probably theologically unsound. The exorcist, Father Jacob, performed a black Mass in order to save a boy from murdering a Muslim Imam and was himself possessed. In the final episode, Fr Jacob is exorcised by the former chief exorcist who escapes from prison. Monsignor Vincenzo, who was in fact a devil worshipper at heart who had managed to infiltrate the priesthood, was on remand for murder. But during a prison riot he escapes and goes to the hotel where Fr Jacob is making his "retreat".

The priest from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is finding it difficult to pray and is indeed possessed and vulnerable. The monsignor starts to convert him to the devil but, during a brief tussle, the voice of his father (who died in a Nazi concentration camp, the reason for his rejection of God) comes from Jacob's mouth. The experience is enough to convert the monsignor back to his faith (but I don't think there's a confession there). During a violent exorcism, Vincenzo is struck by lightening but manages to finish the prayers before dying. Fr Jacob is now free from the deamons he wants to fight. He travels to Rome and saves the Pope from an assassination attempt by demon Michael.

Then there's Cardinal Bukovak, Fr Jacob's boss. He sends Sr Ruth from Rome to spy on the exorcist and report back to him what's happening. The cardinal seems to be in collusion with the devil as well, claiming that Jacob is obsessed with his "medieval ritual".

Okay, so pretty far fetched nonsense I hear you say. But let's look at other aspects of the series.

In numerous parts, Fr Jacob pauses to briefly explain to various people the teaching of the church on different issues and accurately summarises the lives of various saints include St Maria Goretti and St Gianna. For those of you who don't know, the latter was an Italian wife and mother who refused an abortion and a hysterectomy when she was pregnant with her fourth child, despite knowing that continuing with the pregnancy could result in her death. She was canonised in 2004.

There's a scene where a demon, connected with the creation of unborn demons, walks on water towards Fr Jacob while he is trying to exorcise him. When the prayers of exorcism don't seem to be working, Jacob powerfully and dramatically asks for the intercession of St Gianna. He describes her as the defender of human life from conception, among other things. The demon drowns. The audience is perfectly aware of who St Gianna is and what she did. In the present "Catholic media bashing" climate, it's really astounding that the BBC would allow this kind of powerful statement to be broadcast.

Another feature is the emphasis put on the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel as the greatest weapon against evil spirits. When the prayer is said by Sister Ruth and others in church, the windows of the confessional are smashed.

I realised recently that Apparitions was the subject of a front page story in the Sunday Express on October 12. The article quite rightly questions dodgy and graphic parts of the plot including gay sex, murder and Mother Teresa on her death bed with her mind seemingly inhabited by demons.

But in the story, the spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference said: “I will not watch the drama myself, it is not tasteful. I haven’t seen it but people might well be shocked. I have to stress, it is a work of fiction. The Catholic Church would not have chosen the drama form to explain the issue of exorcism.”

What other way can the issue of exorcism be addressed in the mass media? As if the Bishops' Conference is going to get a prime time slot on BBC1 to have a priest facing a camera explaining how exorcism works. Many Catholics are probably not aware of how the devil can attack them, or even worse, do not even believe in the devil. If I were the spokesman and my comment was not influenced directly by opposing bishops, I would have cautiously welcomed the drama, briefly pointing out the sound parts and the not so accurate scenes.

In conclusion, while stressing this is a work of fiction, I would say that never in my lifetime has the Catholic Church been portrayed in such a positive light on mainstream TV than on Apparitions. Let's face it, that's not saying much when we consider all the stick Opus Dei got on Waking the Dead, for instance. In Apparitions, the viewer learned how Catholics pray, how they celebrate the sacraments, who key saints are and what they did, little bits of Church teaching, chunks of scripture, an understanding of the war between good and evil in relation to the suffering of Christ on the Cross, the dangers of dabbling in satanic rituals and how the sacramental of exorcism is used to rid people of demons. I can't remember any other time on BBC dramas when the Church has been looked upon favourably. It's just a pity the audience figures weren't up to much.