Caray, Caray!

Great topic, Anita! Thank you.

Padre Hottie .... he was truly a hot mess, too. ;-)


Padre Tadeo a/k/a Pad Tad in FELS still stands out in my mind. We all enjoyed this character and the actor's portrayal.


I kind of sort of miss the padres in telenovelas. They were usually The Voice of Reason. My best guess is that it is a marketing thing, since Televisa produces these telenovelas to be sold around the world and maybe to countries that are not very religious, or full of "nones", so they're keeping it more generic.
 

Interesting topic, Anita. I think you are on to something. The only padre that I can remember in my telenovela days is Padre Anselmo that you already mentioned from LQLVMR. I remembered the character because he was played Erick del Castillo who has an impressive voice.
 

You bring up an interesting discussion, Anita, I hadn't thought of it but now that you mention it...
Some of the padres absence could be motivated by the fact that novelas have somewhat changed. We rarely get a classic novela or novela rosa anymore, now everything is a series, a narco novela or something in between.
A recent exemple : in Amar a muerte the presence of a padre would have actually made sense, but instead we got the scientist angle with Camilo and the actual La Muerte.

I do remember the times where every novela had a padre in charge of keeping the family secrets, who knew where all the bodies were buried (sometimes literally) and who meddled in everybody's business. Sometimes he even had a true role in the plot, like with Padre Baldomero's death in Amor Bravio - it helped Camila let go of her fear of driving and put in motion a series of events that helped the protas get closer.
Having a padre in novelas gave us a meaning of the importance of religion in Latin American countries, not seeing them anymore is a shame because I don't believe they've lost their importance in every day real life.

One particular story comes to mind for me: when we had the galan be an actual priest in Cachito de cielo and that caused a bit of a scandal in Mexico because the audience didn't like seeing a priest profess romantic feelings for a woman. Sure, the priest was just a reincarcantion of a soccer player, a Amar a muerte type of body switch.

I do hope we get to see padres back in novelas, they're a staple of the genre, like the all purpose doctor or the incompetent policia.

Adriana Noel
 

I think the fewer priests we see today are a sign of the times. After the sex scandals in the Catholic church I think that more places that were previously very religious -- like Ireland -- are now more secular. Pasion y Poder had psychiatrists whose scenes were brilliantly written. I see that as a trend which will help take any stigma that still exists out of getting help for emotional and mental problems.

When talking about traditional good parish priests in TNs, though, we can't leave out Cesar Evora's portrayal of Padre Juan de la Cruz in El Privilegio de Amar. One o the key things for his character is his crisis of faith when dealing with his sick and evil mother, Ana Joaquina (the late, great Marga Lopez). That was an extremely well-told tale.
 

I miss the Padres . The padre in Amor Real had a very important role as a confidente and advisor to Manuel ( Fernando Colunga). The disappearing Padres seem to be another sign of the times .
 

Thanks for the comments, few as there were. It seems as though what the priests represented in our CarayCaray telenovelas, not only are less important to the stories being written, but also to those watching. Does this say anything about them...or us? I personally haven't minded one way or the other. I just thought it would spark a more lively conversation.

Doris--I'm glad you brought up Pad Tad. I'd completely forgotten that he got around on a burro, while our Baker Brothers rode horses and everyone else rode around in big black SUVs. It was a lighthearted contrast between the humble padre and the fast-moving society around him. He probably would have found his place among the native tribe that Sofia Vergara belonged to. Does anyone realize that Cristian de la Fuente was in it for a brief moment as somebody's suitor?

Jarifa--Eric del Castillo does have a certain presence with his voice and bigger than life characters. I didn't watch Gancho al Corazon, but after a quick look-up, he was a season regular and appeared in 219 episodes at age 75. Grueling! Abismo was a slimmer 132 episodes and still acting at age 87.

Adriana Noel--Yes, indeed, in Amar a Muerte we certainly did have a scientist investigating "paranormal" incidents, but we did have what Mexicans hold very close to their culture--belief in the dead having effects on the living, and needing to celebrate AND placate their spirits. I just loved that juxtaposition in Amar a Muerte.

Urban--I never thought of considering the scandal in the Catholic Church as a reason for the diminution of the priest as a central figure in our stories. I think you have a valid point. As we lose our trust and confidence in our institutions, we "solve" the problems by pushing them in the background of our collective consciences. I wonder if viewers in Spanish-speaking countries are doing the same, or if it is only coming from the "top," meaning the CEO's and producers. Hummm I only left out Cesar Evora in El Privilegio de Amar, because of Diego Olivera. You are right, though--side by side, the EPDA was a much better production, better casting and less twisting around with the story than TdA.

Susanlynn--I think we could all use more Padres and fewer drugs and gun violence in our tns.
 

OT..anita,I have been on a wild ride with my first Australian "telenovela " " A Place to Call Home" which is on Ovation channel every Monday from 8 to 2. Wow...I need bingo card for that one !!!!!...affairs , abortions, class struggles, rape, alcoholism, deception, and Nazis...uff
 

Anita, thank you for another thoughtful topic.

I miss the priests. Not superhuman, but human. Flesh and blood, many not clearly defined in black and white, but rather shades of gray, just as lay folks are portrayed.

Along with doris, my favorite father was Padre Tadeo. He was warm, sympathetic, kind and well, pious. He talked the talk and walked the walk. He was a shining example of goodness personified. He loved and cherished his parishioners and just about everyone else.

I have much faith and hope and priests I've known have always embodied what I most admire in the world.

Anita, what a memory you have. I am continually impressed by your wealth of knowledge. Your remembrances are phrased beautifully.

Padre Juan Cristobal also has a special place in my heart not only because of the story but because he was Arturo Peniche.

Thank you Anita -

Diana