Wednesday, July 13,the ABC Primetime/Nightline program "Beyond Belief" featured an hour of reportage about Marian apparitions throughout the world. Although it was interesting to see a "mainstream media" treatment of the subject, there were many aspects about it that, to me, fell far short of doing justice to what many Catholics find a treasured part of their faith. First, the host was often flippant and cutesy, asking questions that seemed far afield from the seriousness that others exhibited about the subject (I cringed when he asked, for example, a woman in Wisconsin whether the town had prayed to Mary that the Packers would win the Super Bowl). Second, the brief program (less than 50 minutes of total screen time) tried to cover too many venues where Marian apparitions are thought to have occurred - if the producers had focused on one or two sites, the coverage could have been deeper. Third, there was an overarching emphasis on the emotionalism of the pilgrims to the sites highlighted - and an insistance on curing as opposed to healing those who were praying. Had there been a more balanced, deep coverage of the whole subject of Marian apparitions, I think that there would have been a better chance of showing the variety of ways that Mary inspires, encourages, and strengthens the faith of the faithful. Good try, ABC. Better next time?
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