Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Reality TV priests win cult following

The French Catholic Church has broken new ground in reality TV with a hit internet show about the everyday lives of priests.

Prêtres Academy - Priests Academy – in which online viewers follow the daily, relatively mundane, lives of three priests – has won a cult following, with more than 200,000 viewing the first three episodes.

The diocese of Besançon in eastern France launched the show to mark its first ordination of a local seminarian in three years, and as a recruiting tool as the church battles to replace the 500 priests who die or retire each year in France.

Currently, the country averages only 100 ordinations each year.

In each five-minute episode, viewers follow Father Franck Ruffiot, 30, as he prays, takes to the confessional box, cooks or visits friends.

Two older priests, Father Michel and Father Christophe, are also seen jogging or celebrating a Christening.

The music and credits are taken directly from a show like Star Academy, except that the show's trademark star has been replaced by a crucifix. However, nobody is eliminated and there is no jury.

Romain Marengo, heads of communications at the Besançon diocese, said the show's aim was to "give a positive spin" and to "fight against clichés" regarding the lives of today's priests.

Father Michel, 48, said he had agreed to participate, not to "play the clown" but to show that priests are "not out of touch but in the real world."

Describing himself as an "anti-star," he said he did not expect the show to "draw hundreds of guys to the seminary".

"But even we reach a couple it will have been worth it," he added.

The Vatican has given its approval to the initiative.
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