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Media Star Priest Off to Hollywood
Father Robert Barron filming of his ‘Catholicism’ series in 2011. PHOTO: WORD ON FIRE
LOS ANGELES—A Catholic media star is coming to Hollywood.
On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that Father Robert Barron, a popular Catholic commentator, author and television host with a significant social media following, would relocate to the Los Angeles Archdiocese from Chicago after Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop.
The move is expected to boost the Catholic church’s voice in a region that is the center of the entertainment industry and home to the nation’s largest Catholic diocese.
Father Barron will continue running a robust media operation that includes his “Word on Fire” media ministry, as well as posting video talks on his YouTube channel. His videos have been watched more than 13 million times.
As an auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, Father Barron’s role will involve aiding Archbishop Jose Gomez in running the archdiocese and taking over some duties when he is absent.
At the announcement of his appointment in Los Angeles Tuesday, Father Barron said that he plans to carry on the mission of “evangelization of the culture, bringing Christ to the arenas of media, politics, law, education, the arts. I can’t think of a more exciting field for this sort of work than Los Angeles, which is certainly one of the great cultural centers of our time.”
Father Barron is one of three new auxiliary bishops appointed in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. The others, Monsignors David O’Connell and Joseph Brennan, are veterans of the archdiocese, which serves 4.3 million Catholics in three counties.
The appointments underscore the pope’s emphasis on the poor and evangelism, just months before his first scheduled visit to the U.S. in late September.
Msgr. O’Connell is known for his work in South Los Angeles over more than two decades, and his work ministering to communities plagued by gang violence and poverty. All three newly appointed auxiliaries speak Spanish.
“In appointing these new auxiliary bishops, Pope Francis really understands what the church needs, not just here in Los Angeles but also in the United States and across the Americas,” Archbishop Gomez said Tuesday.
“The Vatican understands the importance of L.A. as the media capital,” said Monica Valencia, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles archdiocese. Archbishop Gomez serves on the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. She said Father Barron’s “media ministry will likely continue in some new form, but his primary ministry is the spiritual well-being of the people of Los Angeles.”
Hollywood is in the midst of its own religious revival of sorts, releasing many faith-based movies and television series. Some have complained of Hollywood’s handling of religious texts. For example, a few religious leaders criticized last year’s film “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe, as too much of a departure from scripture.
In an interview Tuesday, Father Barron said he’s eager to “meet some of the players out here, the screenwriters, actors and producers and directors.”
The priest’s videos and writings have a conversational tone, and often reference pop culture, history and politics. His slickly produced videos, usually about 10 minutes long—often show him sitting in a library or sanctuary. He’s tackled topics such as original sin and belief in God, but also the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on gay marriage, comedian Bill Maher and “The Hunger Games” movies.
Father Barron said his strategy is “not to scold the culture for what it’s doing wrong” but to find common points of interest.
After criticism of the movie “Noah,” Father Barron brushed aside its critics.
“It’s remarkable to me how this movie preserves an awful lot of what I call the biblical logic of the story of Noah in a way, I must say, that’s rather remarkable for a major Hollywood movie,” he said. “God is clearly affirmed throughout the movie.”
Write to Tamara Audi at tammy.audi@wsj.com
Media Star Priest Off to Hollywood
Father Robert Barron filming of his ‘Catholicism’ series in 2011. PHOTO: WORD ON FIRE
LOS ANGELES—A Catholic media star is coming to Hollywood.
On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that Father Robert Barron, a popular Catholic commentator, author and television host with a significant social media following, would relocate to the Los Angeles Archdiocese from Chicago after Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop.
The move is expected to boost the Catholic church’s voice in a region that is the center of the entertainment industry and home to the nation’s largest Catholic diocese.
Father Barron will continue running a robust media operation that includes his “Word on Fire” media ministry, as well as posting video talks on his YouTube channel. His videos have been watched more than 13 million times.
As an auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, Father Barron’s role will involve aiding Archbishop Jose Gomez in running the archdiocese and taking over some duties when he is absent.
At the announcement of his appointment in Los Angeles Tuesday, Father Barron said that he plans to carry on the mission of “evangelization of the culture, bringing Christ to the arenas of media, politics, law, education, the arts. I can’t think of a more exciting field for this sort of work than Los Angeles, which is certainly one of the great cultural centers of our time.”
Father Barron is one of three new auxiliary bishops appointed in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. The others, Monsignors David O’Connell and Joseph Brennan, are veterans of the archdiocese, which serves 4.3 million Catholics in three counties.
The appointments underscore the pope’s emphasis on the poor and evangelism, just months before his first scheduled visit to the U.S. in late September.
Msgr. O’Connell is known for his work in South Los Angeles over more than two decades, and his work ministering to communities plagued by gang violence and poverty. All three newly appointed auxiliaries speak Spanish.
“In appointing these new auxiliary bishops, Pope Francis really understands what the church needs, not just here in Los Angeles but also in the United States and across the Americas,” Archbishop Gomez said Tuesday.
“The Vatican understands the importance of L.A. as the media capital,” said Monica Valencia, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles archdiocese. Archbishop Gomez serves on the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. She said Father Barron’s “media ministry will likely continue in some new form, but his primary ministry is the spiritual well-being of the people of Los Angeles.”
Hollywood is in the midst of its own religious revival of sorts, releasing many faith-based movies and television series. Some have complained of Hollywood’s handling of religious texts. For example, a few religious leaders criticized last year’s film “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe, as too much of a departure from scripture.
In an interview Tuesday, Father Barron said he’s eager to “meet some of the players out here, the screenwriters, actors and producers and directors.”
The priest’s videos and writings have a conversational tone, and often reference pop culture, history and politics. His slickly produced videos, usually about 10 minutes long—often show him sitting in a library or sanctuary. He’s tackled topics such as original sin and belief in God, but also the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on gay marriage, comedian Bill Maher and “The Hunger Games” movies.
Father Barron said his strategy is “not to scold the culture for what it’s doing wrong” but to find common points of interest.
After criticism of the movie “Noah,” Father Barron brushed aside its critics.
“It’s remarkable to me how this movie preserves an awful lot of what I call the biblical logic of the story of Noah in a way, I must say, that’s rather remarkable for a major Hollywood movie,” he said. “God is clearly affirmed throughout the movie.”
Write to Tamara Audi at tammy.audi@wsj.com
