Newscasts - Meet the US Catholic TV network that drew the ire of Pope Francis
06/05/2025 17:07
Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_s521ipzb&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2025:newsml_RW179406052025RP1_K15&pageId=Newscasts Source: 'Reuters - General news videos' Description: Among the global news networks stationed at the Vatican to cover the secretive conclave, one small but influential U.S. Catholic TV network from an Alabama town is making its mark through not only Catholic content but also news and politics with a conservative appeal - after a sometimes-contentious relationship with the late Pope Francis. Diane To reports. Short Link: https://refini.tv/4kahbeT Video Transcript: As cardinals gather in Rome this week to select the next pope, global news networks covering every twist and turn will be competing against a small but influential Catholic broadcaster based in Alabama. Tonight, on EWTN News Nightly, the roof of St Peter's Basilica looks a little different today. This is the Eternal Word Television Network. It was launched in 1981 by a nun in a monastery's garage in the town of Irondale. It has since grown into a global media conglomerate with nearly a dozen TV channels, a book publisher, a newspaper and radio affiliates. It covers mainly topics of the Catholic ministry, but also a sizeable dose of news and political content. And it has emerged as a beacon for conservative Catholics and a potent voice in Trump-era politics, not to mention an occasional critic of the late Pope Francis. EWTN is part of already a decades-long process of expanding Christian media. Michelle Nickerson, a historian at the Jesuit Loyola University Chicago, says the network successfully married spiritual content and political news for conservative Catholics. I would describe EWTN as a very influential force in conservative media. It is influential on Catholics, but I would say a politicized and conservative slice of Catholicism. President Donald Trump, who stirred some controversy on Sunday by posting an AI-generated photo of himself as pope has appeared on the network several times. EWTN's Founder, Mother Angelica, who died in 2016, used her popular TV show to criticize efforts to liberalize the church. In 2021, Francis, who allowed priests to perform same-sex marriage blessings asked the network to stop bad-mouthing him, the Jesuit magazine "America" reported. The President and Chief operating officer of EWTN News, Montse Alvarado, said the network gave Francis a platform by broadcasting his words and letting him speak for himself. In an interview, she described EWTN as on a mission from God. I don't know that I would ever put a Catholic entity in a political box. Catholicism is much bigger and EWTN walks with the Church. Our mission is to defend the Church, communicate the Church, and bring the message of the Holy Father to the world. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who's also editor-at-large of "America", says it's hard to tell what kind of influence the network could have on election of the new pope. I would say that could have some impact because they're a global network and that means many Catholics and certainly many cardinals watch. On the other hand, I think they're still perceived as largely American networks, so that might work against them. At home, the network has a narrow viewership compared to mainstream networks. For example, Comscore said more than 40,000 US households watched Francis' funeral on EWTN's cable channel, compared to more than 1 million on ABC. Though the brand has millions of followers and subscribers on its social media platforms, an area it says it's focused on growing. Since the last conclave in 2013, the non-profit EWTN, along with its three affiliates, has almost doubled its revenue, to roughly $100 million in the fiscal year ending in June 2023, according to recent tax filings. The revenue comes from advertising, sales of books and religious items, and donations.