Come All Ye Faithful / Robert J. Sawyer

I finished a couple more podcast stories during yesterday’s bus traipsing in addition to the Scalzi story. Robert J. Sawyer’s Come All Ye Faithful appeared in Escape Pod 220, read by Mike Boris. Excellent narration, and the story works well in the format.

Catholic Church puts a priest on Mars colony despite Mars having almost no Christians figuring if they don’t establish their presence at the beginning, they won’t ever. Charlatan Catholic televangelist claims to have seen the Virgin Mary on the surface of Mars via telescope in fulfillment of the third secret of Our Lady of Fatima. Being the only priest on Mars, the Catholic hierarchy asks our protagonist to investigate.

Here’s why I don’t like the story: the ending is not plausible. For instance, after investigating, the priest sends a message back to Earth but waits for the message to be sent when it can be received by both the Vatican and CNN headquarters in Atlanta. As if a city being on the dark side would mean it can’t receive communications from Mars. Hello, satellites. Hello, Internet. The Catholic Church also does not take the word of one person on miracles. Depending on your religious views you might consider that the church could be taken in, but they never have one person investigate and take their word for it. They set up committees and the process takes years. Even the miracles of Our Lady of Fatima are not recognized as official miracles, just as worthy of belief. There’s a bureaucracy to satisfy.

Title: Come All Ye Faithful
Author: Robert J. Sawyer
Narrator: Mike Boris
Publisher: Escape Pod
Format: MP3 podcast download
Length: 34 minutes