Post by Teddy Bear on Feb 2, 2015 17:28:21 GMT
I haven't seen this drama, nor have I any wish to. However 2 bishops are claiming that the representation of the characters in it is 'inaccurate and perverse'. They see it as having an 'anti-Catholic thread'
Knowing the BBC as I do, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. When reading a synopsis of the central characters, Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, I can see why the BBC would prefer to promote the latter and not the former. Personally I don't know why the Bishops should laud More as they do seeing some of the things he is known to have done.
Decide for yourselves.
Knowing the BBC as I do, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. When reading a synopsis of the central characters, Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, I can see why the BBC would prefer to promote the latter and not the former. Personally I don't know why the Bishops should laud More as they do seeing some of the things he is known to have done.
Decide for yourselves.
Thomas More
Thomas More became Henry VIII’s powerful Lord Chancellor when Cardinal Wolsey was thrown out of office for failing to persuade the Pope to grant the king a divorce.
More was known for having held Protestant heretics prisoner in his own home, and is said to have enthusiastically supported the punishment of six men burned at the stake for heresy while he was in office.
He fell out of favour when Henry decided to achieve his divorce by taking control of the church in England. More was arrested for treason and held in the Tower of London when he refused to swear an oath to confirm Henry’s break with Rome.
An opponent of the Reformation, he also refused to accept the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
He was beheaded on July 6, 1535, at the age of 57. Catholics regard More as a martyr and he was beatified in 1886. In 2000, he became patron saint of statesmen and politicians.
Thomas Cromwell
The son of a Putney brewer and blacksmith, Thomas Cromwell (played by Mark Rylance) ran away to the Continent as a youth, learning the arts of war, trade and diplomacy. On returning to London he trained as a lawyer and rose to become a key adviser to Wolsey and later the favourite fixer of Henry VIII.
He was instrumental in arranging the execution of More and later that of Anne Boleyn. And he was a central figure in the dissolution of the monasteries. But Cromwell fell from favour in 1540 after arranging the disastrous marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves. Religious conservatives also persuaded the king that Cromwell’s reforms had gone too far.
He was beheaded on July 28, 1540, aged 54 or 55.
Thomas More became Henry VIII’s powerful Lord Chancellor when Cardinal Wolsey was thrown out of office for failing to persuade the Pope to grant the king a divorce.
More was known for having held Protestant heretics prisoner in his own home, and is said to have enthusiastically supported the punishment of six men burned at the stake for heresy while he was in office.
He fell out of favour when Henry decided to achieve his divorce by taking control of the church in England. More was arrested for treason and held in the Tower of London when he refused to swear an oath to confirm Henry’s break with Rome.
An opponent of the Reformation, he also refused to accept the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
He was beheaded on July 6, 1535, at the age of 57. Catholics regard More as a martyr and he was beatified in 1886. In 2000, he became patron saint of statesmen and politicians.
Thomas Cromwell
The son of a Putney brewer and blacksmith, Thomas Cromwell (played by Mark Rylance) ran away to the Continent as a youth, learning the arts of war, trade and diplomacy. On returning to London he trained as a lawyer and rose to become a key adviser to Wolsey and later the favourite fixer of Henry VIII.
He was instrumental in arranging the execution of More and later that of Anne Boleyn. And he was a central figure in the dissolution of the monasteries. But Cromwell fell from favour in 1540 after arranging the disastrous marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves. Religious conservatives also persuaded the king that Cromwell’s reforms had gone too far.
He was beheaded on July 28, 1540, aged 54 or 55.
Inaccurate and anti-Catholic: Bishops tear into Wolf Hall claiming it paints a twisted picture of English saint Thomas More
By Steve Doughty Social Affairs Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Two Catholic bishops yesterday condemned the BBC drama Wolf Hall as inaccurate and ‘perverse’.
They claimed it painted a twisted picture of Thomas More, one of English Catholicism’s most revered saints.
The historical series – based on the books of Hilary Mantel – has drawn rave reviews but has baffled some viewers with its complicated plot.
The second episode, which was broadcast on BBC2 last Wednesday, drew an audience of 2.9million compared with 3.9million for the series opener.
The Right Reverend Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, disputed the way the leading characters – More and his nemesis Thomas Cromwell – were portrayed.
He said: ‘It is an extraordinary and perverse achievement of Hilary Mantel and BBC Drama to make of Thomas Cromwell a flawed hero and of St Thomas More, one of the greatest Englishmen, a scheming villain.
‘It is not necessary to share Thomas More’s faith to recognise his heroism – a man of his own time who remains an example of integrity for all times.’
He said it would be sad if Cromwell was held up as a hero for later generations, adding: ‘We should remember Wolf Hall is a work of fiction.’
Bishop O’Toole, who is a lifelong admirer of More, accused Dame Hilary and the BBC of connecting More and his Catholic faith to modern religious fundamentalism.
‘Those modern parallels need to be cautiously drawn,’ said Bishop O’Toole.
‘Hilary Mantel does have this view that being a Catholic is destructive to your humanity.
‘It is not historically accurate and it is not accurate in what the Catholic faith has to contribute to society and to the common good.
‘There is an anti-Catholic thread there, there is no doubt about it. Wolf Hall is not neutral.’
One of Rt Rev O’Toole’s first acts when he was ordained Bishop of Plymouth last year was to visit Buckfast Abbey in Devon to pray at More’s hair shirt, which is kept by Benedictine monks there.
‘Did More make mistakes?’ the bishop asked. ‘Yes. Does it mean he is not a saint? No. Mainstream histories seem to recognise that. Wolf Hall is not presenting Thomas Cromwell through a neutral perspective. There is an anti-Catholic element.
‘It is hard for me to say that Cromwell was driven by principles instead of by darker motives.’
- Catholic bishops condemned BBC's Wolf Hall as inaccurate and ‘perverse’
- They claim it paints twisted picture of Thomas More, English Catholic saint
- Tudor drama has received rave reviews but baffled some with complex plot
By Steve Doughty Social Affairs Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Two Catholic bishops yesterday condemned the BBC drama Wolf Hall as inaccurate and ‘perverse’.
They claimed it painted a twisted picture of Thomas More, one of English Catholicism’s most revered saints.
The historical series – based on the books of Hilary Mantel – has drawn rave reviews but has baffled some viewers with its complicated plot.
The second episode, which was broadcast on BBC2 last Wednesday, drew an audience of 2.9million compared with 3.9million for the series opener.
The Right Reverend Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, disputed the way the leading characters – More and his nemesis Thomas Cromwell – were portrayed.
He said: ‘It is an extraordinary and perverse achievement of Hilary Mantel and BBC Drama to make of Thomas Cromwell a flawed hero and of St Thomas More, one of the greatest Englishmen, a scheming villain.
‘It is not necessary to share Thomas More’s faith to recognise his heroism – a man of his own time who remains an example of integrity for all times.’
He said it would be sad if Cromwell was held up as a hero for later generations, adding: ‘We should remember Wolf Hall is a work of fiction.’
Bishop O’Toole, who is a lifelong admirer of More, accused Dame Hilary and the BBC of connecting More and his Catholic faith to modern religious fundamentalism.
‘Those modern parallels need to be cautiously drawn,’ said Bishop O’Toole.
‘Hilary Mantel does have this view that being a Catholic is destructive to your humanity.
‘It is not historically accurate and it is not accurate in what the Catholic faith has to contribute to society and to the common good.
‘There is an anti-Catholic thread there, there is no doubt about it. Wolf Hall is not neutral.’
One of Rt Rev O’Toole’s first acts when he was ordained Bishop of Plymouth last year was to visit Buckfast Abbey in Devon to pray at More’s hair shirt, which is kept by Benedictine monks there.
‘Did More make mistakes?’ the bishop asked. ‘Yes. Does it mean he is not a saint? No. Mainstream histories seem to recognise that. Wolf Hall is not presenting Thomas Cromwell through a neutral perspective. There is an anti-Catholic element.
‘It is hard for me to say that Cromwell was driven by principles instead of by darker motives.’