For a show called The View, the program's hosts on Friday all have the same opinion: The Catholic Church needs to change. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg highlighted pop singer Ariana Grande's decision to leave the church because of alleged intolerance towards her gay brother. Fellow-co-host Rosie Perez announced, "I'm a recovering Catholic." Rosie O'Donnell explained, "I, like you, am a recovering Catholic." [MP3 audio here.]
Goldberg offered, "I just say I'm a humanist." Former Republican strategist Nicolle Wallace is, technically, supposed to represent the conservative perspective on the show. Instead, she cheered on her co-hosts and suggested that "maybe in another generation, if Pope Francis can push the church where I think he wants to push it," Catholicism can change.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the new incarnation of The View is not thriving in the ratings. Perhaps having someone who could actually represent a traditional Catholic opinion might help improve the show?
O'Donnell attacked Catholicism for a "lack of a Christian attitudes":
ROSIE O'DONNELL: And all my nieces and nephews are baptized. So, when Parker arrived, 19 years ago, they're like, "When is the christening?" I'm like, "There isn't a christening." They're like "Why isn't there a christening?" I'm like, "Well, the gay church, they don't really accept me." So, I didn't want to bring my kid, christen him into something where they're going to speak against the evils of their mom. So, it was a big point for me as well, the rejection of homosexuality and the lack of Christian attitudes.
A transcript of the October 24 conversation is below:
11:19
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Pop star Ariana Grande just announced she had to leave the Catholic religion because the church rejected her openly gay brother, Frankie. But do you think a lot of people find themselves at odds with the religion that they were raised in at some point? Is it not just a Catholic Church, but all religions? Are we seeing that?
ROSIE PEREZ: I think it was probably difficult for her to leave, you know? You know, it doesn't mean that she doesn't believe anymore because she's moved on to a different faith. Just like me. People keep asking if I'm an atheist just because I say I'm a recovering Catholic. No. I just, I just decided to leave. And I still believe. I pray every day. My whole family prays. You know? It's just -- it's a difficult decision she has made. It's big.
ROSIE O'DONNELL: Yeah. And it was hard for me, too, when I had children and my siblings, we're Irish Catholic, raised Irish Catholic. I, like you, am a recovering Catholic. And all my nieces and nephews are baptized. So, when Parker arrived, 19 years ago, they're like, "Well, when is the christening?" I'm like, "There isn't a christening." They're like "Why isn't there a christening?" I'm like, "Well, the gay church, they don't really accept me." So, I didn't want to bring my kid, christen him into something where they're going to speak against the evils of their mom. So, it was a big point for me as well, the rejection of homosexuality and the lack of Christian attitudes.
GOLDBERG: Well, that's the thing that flips me out and has flipped me out for years. I grew up in the Catholic Church. I went to -- I mean, we have all kinds of religions in my family. So, I just say I'm a humanist. But I sort of feel like, if you don't remember what the original program was, which was to love each other and try the find the best in each other, then you're not practicing your religion. And not until Frannie came along. The this new Pope, Pope Francis. I like – We're tight. I can call him Frannie. It's all right. Because he seems to have remembered the whole idea is you know, I can't judge you. Only your god can judge you. If you have a good relationship with your god, then nobody else matters. But somehow they -- kind of forgot all of that.
...
NICOLLE WALLACE: I hope that, maybe in another generation, if Pope Francis can push the church where I think he wants to push it. I think what happened, we talked about it this week, where they came out with the report that had much more loving language about everyone's humanity and --
O'DONNELL: And I felt so good.
WALLACE: We felt so good.
O'DONNELL: Every gay person who was Catholic or raised Catholic was like, "is this actually happening?" The next day, they were like, "sorry, no."
WALLACE: But I think it's in Pope Frances's heart to move in that direction.
