(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Joseph Strickland has denounced a scene depicting the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament in the popular Apple TV+ show “Your Friends and Neighbors,” starring Jon Hamm.
The sacrilegious scene from Season 1, Episode 6 of the critically acclaimed series depicts two characters breaking into a Catholic church, with Hamm’s character then removing the sacred hosts from the tabernacle and bringing them back to a pew, where the pair consumed them as a snack.
In a Tuesday X post, Strickland emphasized that the Church should “roar with horror” in reaction to the blatant mockery of Our Lord depicted in this scene, comparing it to the crowds in Jerusalem yelling “We want Barabbas” during Christ’s Passion.
“The Church should roar in horror at this desecration, Christ is being mocked as He was during His Passion, the crowds of humanity are shouting ‘we want Barabbas’ not God’s Divine Son,” the bishop wrote.
The Church should roar in horror at this desecration, Christ is being mocked as He was during His Passion, the crowds of humanity are shouting “we want Barabbas”
not God’s Divine Son. https://t.co/SZuXSUrBWL— Bishop J. Strickland (@BishStrickland) June 11, 2025
In another egregious scene from the episode, the male character mockingly distributes the Eucharist to the woman on the tongue and says “I absolve you” while making the sign of the cross over her like a priest.
READ: Popular Apple TV+ show depicts desecration of Holy Eucharist, mocks the true presence
According to Catholic teaching and tradition, the Communion hosts used at Mass undergo transubstantiation – that is, become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, not regular food to be eaten as a “snack” like the scene depicted.
In a subsequent disturbing scene, Hamm’s character placed the ciborium, which still contained Communion hosts, on the ground as if it were trash, as the characters began engaging in sexual activity in the pew before they were interrupted by a priest entering the church yelling a profanity.
Mockery of Our Lord’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament has become common in pop culture. One recent apparent mockery of the sacrament was a 2024 video that featured Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and pro-abortion filmmaker and influencer Liz Plank. The governor fed a Dorito chip to Plank in such a way that seemingly mocked the distribution of Holy Communion.
READ: Catholics rebuke Gov. Whitmer for video where she gives a Dorito like it was Holy Communion
To respectfully voice your concerns:
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Email: [email protected]
Apple Headquarters
Customer service phone number: 1-800-692-7753
