Apple finds itself at the center of a growing firestorm after a Catholic advocacy group issued a sharply worded letter demanding the removal of a scene in one of its Apple TV+ shows that the group calls “blasphemous” and “sacrilegious.”
The letter, sent by CatholicVote and obtained by Fox News Digital, targets Your Friends and Neighbors, a series that, according to the group, includes a scene of Eucharistic desecration in Episode 6.
The letter, signed by CatholicVote Vice President Josh Mercer, condemns a sequence in which two characters break into a Catholic church, steal consecrated hosts from the tabernacle, casually eat them while mocking the Eucharist, and then engage in intimate activity in the pews. “The man flippantly remarks about how they are eating the Body of Christ,” Mercer writes, calling the scene a direct attack on a foundational Catholic belief.
Mercer points out that for Catholics, the Eucharist is not symbolic — it is believed to be the literal Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Desecrating the Eucharist isn’t just offensive; it’s, in Catholic theology, a grave act of sacrilege. “We cannot stand by while Christ and His Church are casually mocked in the name of ‘entertainment,’” Mercer added in a public statement.
What makes this episode particularly combustible is that Apple, and CEO Tim Cook specifically, have long projected an image of inclusivity and respect for diverse beliefs. Mercer didn’t hesitate to call that out.
Quoting Cook’s past support for religious freedom — including a 2015 op-ed opposing discrimination against people of faith — Mercer asked whether Apple would dare air similar depictions mocking Jewish or Islamic practices. “True diversity and tolerance means respecting all faiths, including Catholicism,” Mercer noted.
The letter also highlighted a statement from Apple’s own corporate ethos: “At Apple, we create a culture… with a North Star of dignity, respect, and opportunity for everyone.” Mercer is asking Cook to live up to that principle — and to meet with CatholicVote to discuss “true diversity.”
Backing the letter is a growing grassroots response. A CatholicVote petition calling on Apple to remove the scene has already gathered nearly 170,000 signatures, a number that’s climbing as the controversy gains media attention. The group says it won’t let this issue be quietly brushed aside.
“This isn’t a mild misunderstanding,” Mercer told Fox News Digital. “This is a calculated act of irreverence in a sacred space, crafted to entertain by mocking the sacred.”
