Irish state broadcaster apologises after comedy sketch depicts God as a rapist

Joke was condemned by prominent figures in Catholic Church

God depicted as rapist in TV comedy (RTE)

Ireland’s state broadcaster, RTÉ, has apologised over a television comedy sketch that depicted God as a rapist.

The channel’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Show was met with outrage for including a mock news report about God being the latest prominent figure to be embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.

The sketch saw a man in a white robe being led to court as a newsreader announced: “The five-billion-year-old stood accused of forcing himself on a young Middle Eastern migrant and allegedly impregnating her against her will, before being sentenced to two years in prison, with the last 24 months suspended. Following the news, movie producer Harvey Weinstein requested a retrial in Ireland.”

The segment led to 1,000 viewer complaints and was condemned by Ireland’s Catholic Archbishop, Eamon Martin, who tweeted: “This outrageous clip should be removed immediately & denounced by all people of goodwill. To broadcast such a deeply offensive and blasphemous clip about God and Our Blessed Mother Mary during the Christmas season… is insulting to all Catholics and Christians.”  

The Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, also criticised the show, accusing it of “mocking the divine” and “trivialising rape victims”.

RTÉ released a statement apologising for the offence caused, but did not announce any plans to remove the sketch from the RTÉ Player.

“RTÉ recognises that matters which can cause offence naturally differ from person to person, within comedy and satire in particular,” said the statement. “Having reviewed the feedback and complaints received up to this point, RTÉ wishes to apologise to those who were offended by the segment.”

The BBC was recently forced to defend The Goes Wrong Show Christmas special following viewer complaints that it was an “insult to the Christian religion”.

In the 30-minute festive play, which aired in December, the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society put on a disastrous Nativity, in which the baby Jesus was eaten by a sheep.