# Surprising news from the Vatican: The Simpsons are Catholic. What? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580 "2010-10-18T18:43:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/21 "2010-10-19T00:15:43Z")
“The Catholic Church – we’ve made a few changes.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/22 "2010-10-19T00:17:40Z")
Looks like Bart is gonna have to be careful from now on about whom he tells to eat his shorts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/23 "2010-10-19T01:44:49Z")
The only thing I got from this article is The Vatican watches the Simpsons? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/24 "2010-10-19T01:56:05Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > if he could do hindu why couldn’t he do voodoo? “Christ is Christ.” 😉 We see in “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star\*” that Lovejoy has a personal problem with the local priest. That might explain why he wouldn’t do voodoo. Oh well. [Side note about that “voodoo dance” line: it comes after Marge asks him to do the Last Rite for Grampa. Apparently she doesn’t know Protestants don’t have that.] \*I still hate it when they get specific about the Simpsons’ denomination. Naming it Presbylutheranism, showing us The Parson… none of that was worthwhile or funny. > [@TBG](#): > > “The Catholic Church – we’ve made a few changes.” Another side note: a lot of Catholics HATED that joke and complained to Fox. In later airings the line was changed to “The Church… we’ve made a few _changes_.” It means the same thing but apparently it was less offensive if they didn’t say it was the RCC. I forget if the original line was restored for the season 10 DVD set. ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/25 "2010-10-19T02:09:40Z")
The Simpsons are definately not Lutheran. Justification by Faith does not include perpetually being a selfish egotistical asshole as Homer most certainly is. Lutherans would have kicked Homer and Bart’s ass unceasingly. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/26 "2010-10-19T03:20:19Z")
I really can’t imagine Lutherans kicking anybody’s ass. Does Garrison Keillor have a violent angry side I don’t know about? ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/27 "2010-10-19T03:33:33Z")
:pGarrison Keillor is not Lutheran in anything but knowledge of what is acceptibale to bring to a pot-luck and his understanding that he needs to feel guilty about everything he has ever done (even if he is forgiven for it) so he will never do it again. In every other occasion, Garrison Keiller is clearly ecumenical and as such - - - not at all Lutheran. He clearly likes fun and music and theater too much to be accepted into the Lutheran faith. (Unless you are talking about those liberal lutherans…;)) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/28 "2010-10-19T03:43:37Z")
> [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > The Simpsons are definately not Lutheran. Justification by Faith does not include perpetually being a selfish egotistical asshole as Homer most certainly is. Lutherans would have kicked Homer and Bart’s ass unceasingly. I remember when Homer won a Pulitzer for Internet reporting, and Lisa did a paper on him and asked him his religion, Homer said, “The one with all those high ideas that don’t work out in real life . . . Christianity!” (Not that that description narrows the field much.) ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/29 "2010-10-19T03:48:00Z")
Even before the Simpsons started doing religious-themed episodes, they were the ONLY family on primetime who you ever saw going to church when it wasn’t a Christmas or Easter episode. It’s also the only show I know of (unless you count South Park) who has taken a hard serious look at other religions as well - the show has Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. True, the Unitarians do get it the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/30 "2010-10-19T04:28:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I seem to remember an episode where Bart asked if they could convert to Catholicism so they could have some “Communion wafers and booze” during church. And Marge said no because “three kids are enough!” And then that episode was shown tonight on my local Fox station as today’s rerun. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/31 "2010-10-19T04:44:43Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I really can’t imagine Lutherans kicking anybody’s ass. Does Garrison Keillor have a violent angry side I don’t know about? Lisa created Lutherans! As Rev. Lovejoy himself once said “the Lord was working through us this day, whether we be Catholic, or Protestant, or Jewish, or…miscellaneous.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/32 "2010-10-19T05:33:50Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Rev. Lovejoy is married. There’s that, and there was also an episode way back in the early days (I’m thinking first three seasons) where they mention the Ten Commandments, and the order or numbering of one of them was not the Catholic numbering. That’s when I first learned that different denominations may have slightly different breakdowns of the ten commandments (apparently, the Catholics and Lutherans divide them the same, except that some Lutherans divide #9 and #10 slightly differently. This Simpsons episode dealt with I think “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” which is the 7th commandment in Catholic and Lutheran traditions and the 8th commandment in the other Protestant and Orthodox denominations.) So the Simpsons are not Catholic or Lutheran. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/33 "2010-10-19T05:35:50Z")
Oh, well, that was an easy enough Google. [Homer vs Lisa and the 8th Commandment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer_vs._Lisa_and_the_8th_Commandment). That would be the 8th Commandment for Catholics and Lutherans. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/34 "2010-10-19T10:30:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Christ is Christ.” 😉 We see in “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star\*” that Lovejoy has a personal problem with the local priest. That might explain why he wouldn’t do voodoo. Oh well. [Side note about that “voodoo dance” line: it comes after Marge asks him to do the Last Rite for Grampa. Apparently she doesn’t know Protestants don’t have that. Unction of the Sick is one of the Sacraments of the Episcopal Church. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/35 "2010-10-19T10:35:25Z")
“Ned… have you thought about one of the other major religions? They’re all pretty much the same.” -Rev Lovejoy ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/36 "2010-10-19T11:23:13Z")
Further evidence Lovejoy isn’t Catholic: every Sunday he’s on a radio show called _Gabbin’ About God_ with a Rabbi and a Monsignor. Having two Catholics would be redundant. You know, that show all the schoolkids are talking about on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/37 "2010-10-19T11:59:14Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > Unction of the Sick is one of the Sacraments of the Episcopal Church. Do Episcopalians call that “Last Rites?” That’s what Marge asks about. I know Last Rites isn’t the formal name of the Catholic sacrament either, but that’s how it is commonly known. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/38 "2010-10-19T13:10:13Z")
in addition to the Gabbin’ About God in Like Father, Like Clown, Lovejoy is in opposition to a priest when he has a fight with a priest in The Frying Game. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/39 "2010-10-19T13:44:53Z")
Homer doesn’t even believe in Jebus. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580/40 "2010-10-19T13:55:11Z")
They dress too nice for church to be Catholic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-news-from-the-vatican-the-simpsons-are-catholic-what/557580.md?page=3)