Catholic League President Calls 'South Park' Creators Cowards

South Park continues to shock and horrify some, including the Catholic League president, who [...]

By Michael Hein

South Park continues to shock and horrify some, including the Catholic League president, who lashed out at Wednesday's new episode.

This week's installment of South Park was titled "A Boy and a Priest," and it featured the impressionable Butters Stotch getting close with a Catholic priest. It made plenty of jokes ranging from predictable and easy to biting and perceptive, but all in all the Catholic League was not impressed. President Bill Donohue released a statement, published by The Wrap on Thursday.

"The October 3rd episode of South Park, titled 'A Boy and a Priest,' portrayed molesting priests as pedophiles," Donohue wrote. "This is factually inaccurate: almost all the molesters – 8 in 10 – have been homosexuals. Therefore, the cartoon-victim characters should have been depicted as adolescents, not kids."

"In Hollywood, the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are seen as courageous," Donohue went on. "They are really cowards. It takes courage to tell the truth."

The statement did not garner Donohue or the Catholic league a lot of sympathy among South Park fans, judging by the reaction on Twitter. Many fans pointed out that the mere existence of the statistics he cited makes his position hard to defend. Others noted that "adolescents" would still be under the legal age of consent, and therefore not much better than children.

"Seems to me that the folks of South Park hit you where it hurt," one person wrote.

"Oh please," added another. "South Park nailed the social commentary with this episode. Only people that are hurt by it are the Catholics who are turning a blind eye away when this stuff happens in real life. I could go on and on and list case after case, but you'd look away again."

"Cowards for depicting a huge disgusting issue accurately," chimed in a third. "The real cowards are the ones that traumatized the lives of those children and the guys that have been trying to cover this up for 16 years."

South Park has been back to pushing the envelope this season, gaining attention for their inflammatory stories in a way that they haven't managed to do in years. In its 22nd season, the show has already tackled school shootings as well. They are even promoting the season with the hashtag "Cancel South Park," looking to stir up an unprescedented level out outrage.

South Park airs on Wednesday's at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.

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