Michael Brooks
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been accused of anti-Catholic sentiment on several occasions. One of the most notable instances was in 1992, when singer Sinéad O'Connor appeared as a musical guest and staged a protest against the Catholic Church. O'Connor held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, tore it to pieces, and said fight the real enemy. This incident sparked thousands of complaints from viewers and criticism from the Catholic Church. Another example is a sketch by Pete Davidson, who likened people who support the Catholic Church to R. Kelly fans, prompting calls for an apology from Catholic officials. Additionally, SNL has been criticized for featuring a character, Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, who regularly mocks the Catholic religion. While some defend SNL's use of satire, others argue that the show has a double standard when it comes to bigotry and has contributed to anti-Catholic sentiment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | 3 October 1992 |
| Who was involved | Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor |
| What happened | O'Connor staged a protest against the Catholic Church during her performance on the show |
| How did people react | The protest triggered thousands of complaints from viewers and criticism from the Catholic Church |
| Were there any consequences | Yes, O'Connor was banned from the show for life and her reputation and career were damaged |
| Were there any other similar incidents | Yes, there have been other instances of perceived anti-Catholic sentiment on the show, including a sketch by Pete Davidson and a character played by Molly Shannon |
| How did Catholic officials react to these incidents | They demanded an apology from the show and NBC, calling the sketches "disgraceful" and "offensive" |
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What You'll Learn
Sinéad O'Connor's protest on SNL
On 3 October 1992, Sinéad O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) to promote her new album, Am I Not Your Girl?. She performed two songs, the first of which was her new single "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home". For the second song, O'Connor performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley's 1976 song "War", wearing a necklace with the Rastafari star and a scarf with the Rastafari and Ethiopian colours.
O'Connor replaced Selassie's references to the then-current political situation in Angola, Mozambique and South Africa with lyrics related to child abuse. Throughout the performance, she stared intently into the camera. As she sang the final line, "we have confidence in the victory of good over evil", O'Connor held a photograph of Pope John Paul II directly in front of the camera, tore it into pieces, and said, "fight the real enemy".
O'Connor's actions sparked worldwide outrage and assertions that she had ruined her future. NBC, the network that airs SNL, received thousands of complaints from viewers, including calls for violence against O'Connor. She was also criticised by celebrities, including Catholics Joe Pesci and Madonna, and was banned from appearing on the show again.
In the years following her performance, O'Connor repeatedly said that she did not regret her actions, as she felt miscast in the role of a pop star and instead saw herself as a protest singer. In her 2021 memoir, Rememberings, she wrote that the protest had put her back on the right track following a personal crisis stemming from the success of her 1990 single "Nothing Compares 2 U".
After the Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse became public, retrospective opinion toward O'Connor, especially after her death in 2023, shifted in support of her. For example, in 2020, Time named O'Connor the most influential woman of 1992 for her protest.
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Catholic League's criticism of SNL
The Catholic League and other Catholic officials have criticised Saturday Night Live (SNL) on multiple occasions for what they perceive as anti-Catholic sentiment. One of the most notable instances was in response to a sketch performed by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor during her appearance on the show in 1992. During her performance, O'Connor staged a protest against the Catholic Church by holding up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, tearing it to pieces, and saying "fight the real enemy". This incident sparked thousands of complaints from viewers and criticism from the Catholic Church. O'Connor's actions were defended retrospectively after the Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse became public.
In addition to the O'Connor controversy, the Catholic League has also taken issue with other instances of perceived anti-Catholic sentiment on SNL. Catholic League president Bill Donohue has accused the show of having a "'double standard' on bigotry", citing instances where cast members have made jokes or comments mocking the Catholic Church and its handling of sex abuse scandals. For example, Colin Jost commented that "Pope Francis ended a Vatican summit by promising the Catholic Church would confront the clergy sex abuse head-on, instead of their usual way, face down, ass up". Donohue also criticised the show for its portrayal of the character Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, who regularly mocks the Catholic religion.
In March 2019, the Catholic League, along with other Catholic officials, called for an apology from SNL and NBC for a sketch performed by Pete Davidson. In the sketch, Davidson likened people who "support the Catholic Church" to fans of R. Kelly, an R&B singer facing charges of criminal sexual abuse. Davidson described Kelly as "a monster" and asked rhetorically why anyone would support him. He then drew a comparison to the Catholic Church, implying that supporting the Church was similar to supporting Kelly despite his crimes. The sketch was met with groans from the audience and prompted calls for an apology from the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, and the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. In their statement, the Brooklyn Diocese emphasised the pain caused by the clergy sex abuse crisis and stated that "no one should ever get a laugh at the expense of the victims who have suffered irreparably".
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Pete Davidson's R. Kelly comparison
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been accused of anti-Catholic sentiment on multiple occasions. One of the most notable instances was when the Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor appeared as a musical guest on the show in 1992 and staged a protest against the Catholic Church. O'Connor's actions damaged her career and reputation, but retrospective opinion shifted in her favour after the Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse became public.
More recently, in March 2019, SNL cast member Pete Davidson made a comparison between people who "support the Catholic Church" and fans of R. Kelly, the R&B singer who has been accused of sexual abuse. In the Weekend Update segment, Davidson described Kelly as "a monster" who should "go to jail forever," before asking: "But, if you support the Catholic Church, isn’t that, like, the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan? I don’t really see the difference, only, like, one’s music is significantly better."
Davidson, who was raised Catholic, was referring to the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals and the recent charges against R. Kelly. The comparison sparked controversy, with the Diocese of Brooklyn and the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights demanding a public apology from SNL and NBC. The diocese called the skit "disgraceful and offensive," saying that it "harassed" and "mocked" the faithful of the Church during a "difficult time."
However, some commentators defended Davidson's comparison, arguing that it highlighted the double standard between how fans respond to allegations against celebrities and how they hold religious institutions accountable. One commentator, Hemant Mehta, noted that the key difference between R. Kelly and the Catholic Church is that Kelly is at least facing justice, while many of the Catholic Church's abusers have evaded punishment.
The Pete Davidson incident is not an isolated event, but part of a larger pattern of SNL engaging in satire that singles out Catholicism for scorn. For example, the character Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, regularly mocks the Catholic religion. While satire and comedy often push boundaries, the frequency and nature of the anti-Catholic sentiments expressed on SNL have sparked debates about the show's treatment of religious groups.
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SNL's double standard on bigotry
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been accused of anti-Catholic bigotry on several occasions. One of the most notable incidents occurred in 1992 when the Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor appeared as a musical guest on the show and staged a protest against the Catholic Church. O'Connor held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, tore it to pieces, and said "fight the real enemy". This incident damaged O'Connor's career and reputation, and she received criticism from the Catholic Church. However, retrospective opinion toward O'Connor shifted in support of her after the Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse became public.
In more recent years, SNL has been accused of continuing to tolerate and contribute to anti-Catholic sentiment. Catholic League president Bill Donohue has commented on the show's firing of Shane Gillis, who made offensive remarks about Asians, homosexuals, women in the military, and those with mental disabilities. Donohue argued that SNL has demonstrated a double standard by firing Gillis while continuing to tolerate and contribute to anti-Catholic bigotry. For example, the show has featured a character named Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, who regularly mocks the Catholic religion.
In March 2019, SNL aired a sketch in which comedian Pete Davidson, who was raised Catholic, likened people who "support the Catholic Church" to R. Kelly fans, prompting calls for an apology from Catholic officials. Davidson described Kelly as "a monster" who should "go to jail forever" and suggested that supporting the Catholic Church was similar to being an R. Kelly fan. The sketch was met with groans from the audience and criticism from Catholic groups, who argued that it was offensive and dismissive of the pain experienced by survivors of abuse within the Catholic Church.
While SNL has been accused of having a double standard when it comes to bigotry, it is important to note that the show engages in satire and aims to address difficult topics through humour. However, some have argued that the show should approach these topics with more sensitivity and responsibility, especially when it comes to matters of abuse and religious communities.
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Catholic Church's response to SNL
The Catholic Church has had a rocky relationship with the popular television show Saturday Night Live (SNL). Over the years, there have been several instances where the Church has taken offence at the show's content and lashed out at its creators and performers.
Sinead O'Connor's Protest
One of the most famous incidents occurred in 1992 when the Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor appeared as a musical guest on SNL and staged a protest against the Catholic Church. During her performance of Bob Marley's "War", O'Connor held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, tore it to pieces, and said, "fight the real enemy". This act triggered thousands of complaints from viewers and criticism from the Catholic Church, with some calling it a "gesture of hate" and "neo-anti-Catholicism". O'Connor, who was raised Catholic, had suffered childhood abuse and blamed the Catholic Church, holding them responsible for physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Despite the backlash, O'Connor stood by her act, seeing herself as a protest singer rather than a pop star. Retrospective opinions towards O'Connor shifted in support after the Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse became public.
Pete Davidson's Comparison to R. Kelly
In March 2019, SNL comedian Pete Davidson made a comparison between the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals and the allegations against R&B singer R. Kelly during the show's "Weekend Update" segment. Davidson said, "Before I continue, this guy is a monster and he should go to jail forever... But if you support the Catholic Church, isn't that like the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan? I don't really see the difference, except one's music is significantly better." This remark prompted calls for an apology from the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, and the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. The Brooklyn Diocese, in a statement, demanded "an immediate public apology from 'Saturday Night Live' and NBC" and added that "the mockery of this difficult time in the Church's history serves no purpose." Church leaders, including Pope Francis, demanded a public apology, stating that "the only acceptable bias these days is against the Catholic Church." However, others argued that the Catholic Church did not deserve an apology, highlighting its long history of covering up sexual abuse and its refusal to implement more stringent protection and prevention procedures.
The Character of Mary Katherine
In addition to specific incidents, SNL has been criticised for regularly featuring a character named Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, who mocks the Catholic religion. This has contributed to perceptions that the show singles out Catholicism for scorn and ridicule.
Overall, the Catholic Church's response to SNL has been defensive, with the Church taking issue with any content that criticises or satirises its practices, leaders, or scandals. While some may argue that SNL's content is offensive, others defend it as a form of satire and free speech. The Church's responses have also been criticised for portraying the institution as a victim and trying to silence those who speak out against it.
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Frequently asked questions
Saturday Night Live has been accused of being anti-Catholic on several occasions. The show has been accused of mocking the Catholic Church and its followers, and of being selective about what it deems offensive.
In 1992, singer Sinead O'Connor appeared on the show and staged a protest against the Catholic Church. She held up a picture of Pope John Paul II, tore it to pieces, and said, "fight the real enemy". This incident triggered thousands of complaints from viewers and criticism from the Catholic Church.
Yes, NBC received over 4,400 calls criticising O'Connor's actions, and she was banned from the show for life. Catholic Cardinal Bernard Francis Law called the act a "gesture of hate" and "neo-anti-Catholicism". The incident also damaged O'Connor's television career and reputation.
Yes, in 2019, Catholic League president Bill Donohue accused the show of having a double standard on bigotry. He stated that the show has demonstrated a tolerance for anti-Catholic sentiment and has contributed to it on several occasions. Additionally, in 2015, a character named Mary Katherine, played by Molly Shannon, was criticised for regularly mocking the Catholic religion.
Catholic officials have demanded apologies and criticised the show for its offensive content. In 2019, the Brooklyn Diocese demanded an "immediate public apology" from Saturday Night Live and NBC for a skit that linked the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals with R. Kelly's criminal sex abuse charges. The Diocese called the skit "disgraceful and offensive" and stated that it mocked a "difficult time in the Church's history".
