A throwback to times before relativism – The Irish Catholic

Irish Catholic readers should be able to wallow in a bit of nostalgia! On Wednesday of last week I happened upon The Dick Powell Theatre on satellite movie channel Talking Pictures TV (TPTV). It was an innovative TV drama show in its day (early 1960s) a TV series of one-off dramas.

This particular episode didnt date that well it was melodramatic, with awkward close-ups and music that unsubtly telegraphed meaning.

For its time it was probably edgy, with a storyline that featured adultery prominently but this was a moral universe, with none of todays relativism or even nihilism.

The main characters adultery had him seriously conflicted and was seen as demeaning and objectionable with several characters trying to persuade him to give it up. A journalist character was entirely upstanding and studiously professional.

By contrast the moral climate of new drama series Dublin Murders is more muddled. It started last week Monday and Tuesday on BBC1, Wednesday on RT1. I just cant warm to it with its bunch of characters that run the short gamut from unlikeable to obnoxious, along with the most gratuitous foul language Ive heard for years in a mainstream drama series the worst offender was a senior Garda character.

Theres a very dark plot about the murder of children (the camera lingers way too long on the corpse of a murdered child) and a peculiarly voluminous amount of cigarette smoking.

I found the script rather stilted and the acting often stiff, while my distaste was heightened by the dubious use of child actors in such unsavoury material, an all too common practice.

Religion didnt figure much in the first two episodes, though there were lots of statues and holy pictures in a home where child abuse is hinted at. Hmm

Back in the muddled real world, after the excesses of the extinction rebellion protests, last Thursdays Drivetime (RT Radio 1) reported that Dublin City Chief Executive Owen Keegan was annoyed that the climate protestors had been allowed to camp overnight in Merrion Square at the height of the protests. No one else is permitted to do this (though the homeless might have a more urgent claim on the facility) and it is against the relevant bye-laws.

I thought Keegan was being professional, supporting the rule of law and the neutrality of state bodies but Paul McAuliffe, Lord Mayor of Dublin, thought that climate change was such an important and unique issue that it was acceptable.

Ironically this is the same geographical area where other arms of Government and other lawmakers want to bring in exclusion zones and rule out lawful and peaceful pro-life protests at Holles Street. Inconveniently (for the Government) Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was reported recently on RT News as saying that such exclusion zones were not necessary and that existing powers were adequate.

Owen Keegans approach could well be copied by other officials and bodies funded by the State, and by journalists, but this kind of professionalism is unfortunately declining, e.g. as current affairs presenters show their political and ideological biases.

Lines are crossed in divisive ways, and my compliments for Commissioner Harris do not extend to Garda cars covered in rainbow colours and Garda stations raising rainbow flags as happened recently in Kerry raised higher than the national flag in contravention of respect-for-flag protocol.

Media-related examples abound one of the latest happened on Newstalks Breakfast show last Saturday when Susan Keogh was reporting on what Bishop Alphonsus Cullinane said about yoga in Catholic schools. Instead of just reporting it in her newspaper round-up, as she did with all the other stories, she editorialised with a few rather dismissive comments, among which: maybe we should let schools teach children what they want to teach children maybe we should let the medical profession decide how young people should be kept safe [no mention of parents] and maybe bishops and priests should do what they know what to do [sic] but maybe thats too much common sense.

Finally, lest I end on a complaint, I must say I enjoyed Andrea Corrs interview on The Late Late Show last Friday. She didnt get to talk about her religious faith (outlined in last weeks cover story) but did speak about her faith in humanity, how blessed she was with children despite several miscarriages and was particularly moving when speaking about when her parents passed away.

Live Pope Francis celebrates Mass to conclude the Synod of Bishops, which discussed the Amazons religious and ecological pathways.

Singers Jordan Mogey and Andy Calderwood explore the life-changing power of music and faith.

David Kerr talks with students from St Ninians High School near Glasgow about commitment to spreading the Gospel of Life.

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A throwback to times before relativism - The Irish Catholic