Looks to me like somebody at Pepsi worships at the Paulist Center?!
Seriously, I doubt the executives at Pepsi even know that the Eucharist is, literally, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. This is the price we pay for the Catholic priests who have been serving up giddy instead of the truth and Sacraments. Most Catholics don't know. They're confirmed without knowing. They come and go each week without knowing until one day their lack of sanctifying grace causes them to make poor choices and they drift away.
But I digress.
I would encourage you to contact Pepsi and educate them about the Blessed Sacrament in your explanation as to why their peculiar commercial is offending Catholics.
You can sign a petition HERE and/or contact Pepsi directly:
Pepsi Customer Service
1100 Reynolds Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Phone: (800) 789-2626
Email: cscserv@pepsico.com
Here's mine - spread the word.
-----Original Message-----
From: cmmckinley@aol.com
To: cscserv@pepsico.com
Sent: Sat, Jan 1, 2011 11:24 am
Subject: Request from Catholic Blogger
Dear Madam/Sir:
I am guessing your marketing people were unaware that at a Catholic Mass, the Roman Catholic Priest is transforming the bread and wine, literally, into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. The Catholic Liturgy is, literally, a re-enactment of Christ's Crucifixion. The Sacrifice taking place mystically takes us to those moments and the ability to receive many gifts of the Holy Spirit.
While I realize it was not the corporate intention, Pepsi's controversial commercial is an offensive mockery of these Catholic treasures and I am respectfully requesting that Pepsi pull the commercial.
Most of us are mothers, who purchase groceries. If Pepsi fails to respect the requests of Catholics, we will be producing a list of Pepsi products and networking with other Catholics to stop purchasing Pepsi products to protest the lack of respect and reverence to the Catholic Liturgy and Blessed Sacrament.
Carol McKinley
8 comments:
The only problem, Carol, is that the service is clearly not Catholic. From the lack of vestments (e.g. no stoles), the stark furnishing of the sanctuary space, the use of the title "Pastor" in direct address, and the use of small individual glasses for the communion drink, it seem to be definitely Protestant, probably Methodist or even Baptist. The commercial is irreverent, but it is hardly anti-Catholic and does not even come close to parodying Catholic worship.
Good points and I didn't walk away thinking this was an anti-Catholic commercial.
I don't agree that the commercial comes off as 'definitely' protestant. It came across to me as insensitive to worship and with the use of a Roman Catholic it included Roman Catholic worship. I would definitely not use the word 'clearly' when saying it is 'not Catholic' but I don't see it as part of a conspiracy - it is just dumb and grossly insensitive marketing that is worthy of contacting them.
How about if we ask the marketing department to change it to a Temple or Islamic place of worship and have the rabbi or imam give out doritos and pepsi as part of their religious service?
Think they'd be willing?
I don't and I think we both know the reasons why. The men involved in those religions would stand up and raise a stink. Sadly, this is another reason why it is Catholic and Christian mothers and women who have had to make up for the sissies who are letting Christianity in our country be challenged to the point where it is threatened.
This is not something to let them get away with. Gotta start drawing some serious lines in the sand and if it has to be the women who do it, so be it.
p.s. Plenty of Catholic priests refer to themselves as 'pastor' - take for instance 'the concord pastor' -- and plenty of Catholic parishes have had every statue, sacramental and everything that looks Catholic - removed and they look very much like the one in this commercial. There isn't even a crucifix in these parishes. I have literally been scheduled to meet somebody at a Catholic Church that I've never been to before and when I got in there, swore I got the directions wrong and was in a protestant parish. Not even a Crucifix. (Check out Cohasset next time you are around town).
This is what many Catholic priests have let happen to our parishes. They watered down worship and spaces to drivel and four white walls. When the protestants learned how to preach, Catholics had no idea What and Whom they were leaving to feel giddy about themselves.
I honestly think we have let the things get too far. There's a reason why this was not a muslim or Jewish service. Better we work to kick up their respect a few notches for Christianity and Catholicism and let the chips fall where they may.
I understood this commercial is one of ten finalists for a $5 million prize - winner to be chased Jan.3.
Chosen Jan. 3
rosemary
Good news...Pepsi did not choose this, and will not air it at the Superbowl or at any other time. Maybe this new blogger network is finally gaining ground!
Just thought it would be nice to see what they actually had to say at Pepsi, so here is the e-mail they sent to me...
"Thank you for contacting us at PepsiCo to share your sincere thoughts.
We want to reassure you that the commercial you cited was not one conceived and produced by PepsiCo, and it never aired on television. Rather, it was a consumer submission in our web-based Crash the Super Bowl promotion, in which participants can upload their own 30-second spots for Doritos tortilla chips or Pepsi MAX to be considered for broadcast during Super Bowl XLV.
We announced the contest finalists this morning and this consumer submission is not included in that selection. We hope you are further reassured to know that this consumer submission will not be aired during the Super Bowl, nor will it be included in any other Doritos or Pepsi MAX marketing programs in the future.
We apologize if you were upset or offended by this consumer submission, and we will share your feedback with our marketing teams so they can be aware of your concerns.
Thanks again for taking the time to write.
PepsiCo Consumer Relations"
Maybe someone actually does get the idea it's not nice to bash Religion, no matter what they are trying to sell.
Jesus Is Lord!
Tim M
Thanks Anon and Tim - Amen. Kudos to Pepsi for the sensitivity to respond to all of us and to do the right thing with the commercial.
And special thanks to all those who worked on this - especially Janet Baker and Mary Ann Kreitzer.
Job well done.
Post a Comment