The Angelus is an Irish radio and television programme, first broadcast in 1950, of the sound of an Angelus bell ringing for one minute. On radio[1] it is broadcast at 12 pm and 6 pm every day.[2] On television, it is only broadcast at 6 pm, immediately before the main evening news. Since 2009, the programme on television no longer includes Catholic imagery and the Angelus prayer itself is never broadcast.[citation needed]
The bells were recorded at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral,[3] although initially broadcast live.[4]
Radio Éireann first broadcast The Angelus on 15 August 1950. The Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Leon Ó Broin, and the Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid, had discussed the original idea in the late 1940s.[4]
The Catholic broadcast has sometimes been challenged,[5][6][7] while some non-Catholic faith leaders have called for its continuation,[8] notably the Church of Ireland (although less prominent than in the Roman Catholic church the Angelus is also part of the Anglican/Episcopal tradition)[9] and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Archbishop Eames of the Church of Ireland welcomed the new version in 2009.[10] The secretary of the mosque in Clonskeagh and the Chief Rabbi supported keeping the broadcast.[citation needed]
Television format
Televised programming began at Telefís Éireann's launch. Images shown were pictures of the Annunciation.[4] More recently, it showed "a number of people of varying gender and ages pause to pray at the sound of the bell".[11] Art 1970's until 1998 in color.
2009 relaunch
From 21 September 2009, RTE Television reformatted the broadcast before RTÉ News: Six One.[3] It features seven different editions, with a different person shown in each one.[12] Featured people include a chemist from Finglas, a mother from Sixmilebridge, grandparents feeding swans in Shannon, a fisherman from Enniscorthy and an office worker from Zambia at her office near the Phoenix Park.[13] The one-minute feature attracts an average audience of 318,000.[3] It was developed by Kairos Communications.[13]
2015 revamp
From 2015, a new form of the Angelus, The People's Angelus, are transmitted on Fridays, produced by ordinary people, artists, and aspiring filmmakers.[14] Angelus films produced by Kairos are transmitted on the other days of the week.[15]
2023 revamp
Saturday to Thursday Angelus had a revamp in late May or early June 2023.
References
- ^ Hegarty, Shane (26 September 2009). "A joyous moment". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ Kenny, Mary (23 September 2009). "The angelus rings on". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ a b c McGarry, Patsy (19 September 2009). "Angelus undergoes revamp but gongs remain the same". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ a b c "Irish Public Service Broadcasting - 1950s: Broadcast of the Angelus". RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ Sectarian ring of the Angelus, Wesley Boyd, The Irish Times, 3 March 2002, retrieved 24 April 2009
- ^ Learning the lessons from Ferns, The Irish Times, 10 October 2005, retrieved 24 April 2009
- ^ Angelus criticised as `wildly divisive', The Irish Times, 5 May 1998, retrieved 24 April 2009
- ^ "Future of Angelus on RTÉ debated". Irish Emigrant. 25 March 2002. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ The Angelus, An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, Episcopal Church
- ^ The Angelus rings on by Mary Kenny, The Guardian, 23 September 2009.
- ^ Collins, Dan (23 September 1998). "Angelus will sound the same but look different". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ "RTÉ Launches a New Version of The Angelus". RTÉ Press Office. 21 September 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.[dead link]
- ^ a b Cooney, John (22 September 2009). "Angelus rings the changes with new views of life". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ Reports 2016 Church of Ireland, General Synod. Retrieved: 2021-02-17.
- ^ Updating of Angelus films on RTE iCatholic, 23 November 2015.