"Hateful and Blasphemous": Priest's Letter Canceling Netflix Due to "Salute to Abortion" Goes Viral

We all need to take a stand at some point.

For Fr. .John Rapisarda, the time came when the Netflix original series The Break with Michelle Wolf did a “salute to abortion,” complete with music, confetti, and Wolf declaring “God bless abortion.” (You can watch the segment here, though be warned it’s vulgar.)

Disgusted by the segment which he called “hateful and blasphemous,” Fr. Rapisarda decided to cancel his Netflix subscription. He wrote to Netflix explaining why and shared the letter on Facebook, which has since gone viral (you can view the full letter at the end of this article).

“There are many things wrong with this episode,” he says in the letter. “Suffice it to say that abortion destroys the human life in the womb and the heart of the mother. Many who are either pro-choice or pro-abortion will say that it is preferable to have fewer abortions. Disregarding both groups – both pro-life and pro-rare-abortion – and declaring ‘God bless abortions,’ is not humorous or edgy. It is hateful and blasphemous.”

Fr. Rapisarda anticipated the creators of the show “will likely dismiss me and millions of others as unenlightened” but said he would nonetheless “pray that you have a change of heart, understand the damage done by abortion, and repent of your actions.”

In conclusion, he wrote he hopes Netflix will reconsider the type of content they produce, until which time he “will be encouraging others to cancel their memberships.”

Fr. Rapisarda is the administrator of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Baltimore, MD.

This isn’t the first time Wolf has celebrated abortion in her comedy routines. Earlier this year, Wolf joked about abortion at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying people shouldn’t “knock it until you’ve tried it. And when you do try it, really knock it, you know. You gotta get that baby out of there.”

Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, blasted her remarks, saying he was “at a loss for words.”

“Michelle Wolf’s comment was not just a bad joke,” Bp. Barron wrote, “it was a brazen display of power, designed to appeal precisely to those who have reached the top of the greasy pole.” He concluded we can know our culture is failing morally when you can watch “lots of people in tuxedos and formal gowns, sipping from wine glasses, and laughing while someone jokes about the murder of children.”

Here’s the letter Fr. Rapisarda posted on Facebook:

Fr.John Rapisarda, Facebook

Here’s the full text of the letter:

To Whom it May Concern:

I’m writing to inform you that, after years of satisfied use, I have chosen to cancel my Netflix Account. The reason is the recent episode of the Netflix Original, The Break with Michelle Wolf, entitled “Salute to Abortion.”

There are many things wrong with this episode. However, it is clear, as the show is created and sponsored by Netflix, that listing them would do little to change hearts. Suffice it to say that abortion destroys the human life in the womb and the heart of the mother. Many who are either pro-choice or pro-abortion will say that it is preferable to have fewer abortions. Disregarding both groups – both pro-life and pro-rare-abortion – and declaring “God bless abortions,” is not humorous or edgy. It is hateful and blasphemous.

Michelle Wolf and her Netflix writers will likely dismiss me and millions of others as unenlightened, all while claiming to be tolerant of others’ opinions, moral or otherwise. Because of this, I pray that you have a change of heart, understand the damage done by abortion, and repent of your actions.

I hope you reconsider your content. Until then, I will be encouraging others to cancel their memberships, as well.

Sincerely,

Fr. John Rapisarda

Here’s the letter Fr. Rapisarda posted on Facebook:

Here’s the full text of the letter:

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!