Greg Willits: I think the biggest difference between That Catholic Show and other catechetical videos is that we outright used other secular productions as models for what we wanted to do, rather than following the traditional talk-show method of programming usually produced for catechesis.  We watched a lot of Food Network and HGTV where they talk about mushrooms or paint colors for 30 minutes and somehow make even the most laborious topics fun and interesting.  The Catholic faith is fun.  It is interesting.  We figured that there’s no reason we couldn’t use a fast pace, different angles, unique wardrobes and locations, and create a program that presents Catholicism like you’ve never seen before.  I think the National Catholic Register described it best when it called That Catholic Show “Humorous…yet reverent.”  That is exactly what we wanted, and I think that’s what we’ve accomplished.  Considering the enormous amount of worldwide support for this project, we’re very grateful that the Holy Spirit led us in this direction.

Chris Cash: How did you come up with the idea of That Catholic Show?

Greg Willits: At first That Catholic Show was going to be a weekly online video that provided a recap of recent Catholic news.  But after filming a few minutes of test footage, we were bothered that all we were doing was another talking head program.  There was nothing unique or exciting about it, and certainly nothing that couldn’t be accomplished simply using audio.  So my wife, Jennifer, and I really started challenging ourselves to identify the types of media that appealed to us and to study the mechanics of what made these programs appealing to us.  The idea really started to form when we forced ourselves to step away from our offices, step away from home, and just go out to eat and start brainstorming without any other distractions.  Over dinner we came up with ideas like shooting scenes from inside of a microwave oven or having Jennifer dress up like a cavewoman, doing things we’d never seen in a Catholic video.  In a moment of bleary eyed inspiration while taking a shower, I came up with the name “That Catholic Show,” and shortly after that, we were cranking out scripts and putting Jennifer in front of the camera.  And with every shot we filmed, we constantly asked ourselves, “Is this unique?  Is this different?”  If the answer was no, we’d figure out a way to push the envelope and make something truly unique.

Chris Cash: What has been the biggest challenge in creating the show?

Greg Willits: The biggest challenge in creating the show is actually the aspect I thought would be the easiest part — writing the scripts.  I have a ton of background in writing and even worked as a reporter for a time where I had to crank out thousands and thousands of words a week.  I figured the scripts would be an afterthought.  But once I realized the importance of what we were trying to explain, I realized that authentically and faithfully presenting the teachings of the Catholic Church trumped everything.  I became obsessed with making sure that every Catholic topic we tackle is handled in complete obedience to the Catholic Church.  After all, if we accidentally present something erroneous, even the smallest part, we are doing a disservice to the Church.  So that’s why in any given episode of That Catholic Show you’ll hear as many references to the Catechism as you will to Scripture.  And then once we write a script, we always ask multiple priests to review it before we shoot a single frame of footage.

Chris Cash: What topics were covered in Season 1? 

Greg Willits: In Season One we covered a gamut of topics and really tried to make each episode a surprise until we released it online via our website at SQPN.com, through our podcast feed, or on video services like YouTube.  Our first episode was about why Catholics sit, stand, and kneel all the time.  We followed that up with an episode about the uses and symbols of candles and light, a show about why people shouldn’t be afraid of their Catechism, the priesthood, charity and mercy, statues and icons, water in the Catholic Church, and Confession.  The Confession episode was by far one of the most popular episodes of the first season, but we have some great topics coming up in Season Two, including the episode we recently premiered at the Catholic New Media Celebration about using New Media in the New Evangelization.

Chris Cash: So far, what has been the most fun scene for you to shoot?

Greg Willits: I have scenes that were fun to shoot, and different ones that were fun to edit.  The most fun scene for me to shoot was the scene in our episode about Charity and Mercy (Episode 4 of the first season) where Jennifer dressed up as a superhero.  The most fun scene to edit was the teaser for Night of the Living Catechism.  We wanted to create a cheesy-feeling 1950′s horror movie feel to show how some people have a fear of our Big Green Catechism.  I learned a ton about video editing while doing that scene and just overall still laugh when I watch that simply because I know it’s the last thing people would expect from a Catholic video.

[You can find more of this interview with Greg Willits at CatholicSpotlight.com.  That Catholic Show is available at The Catholic Company (http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-gifts/4003730/That-Catholic-Show-DVD-Season-1/).]

Chris Cash: Tell us about why you felt the need to write Benedict of Bavaria.

Pursell: If you don’t mind a one-word answer: Love.  Love for my family, for the truth, for the Catholic religion, and for one of the most brilliant minds of the last hundred years. 

The project was born of prayer.  I was so thrilled, so thankful, when the Cardinals chose Ratzinger to lead the Church, but the media depiction was just awful, and so many people seemed really taken in.  In prayer I asked, What can I do?  And then there was one of these rare moments when an answer broke the silence: Do what  you do.  And what  I do is research, write, think, and teach.  So off I went.

A number of the biographies that appeared since his election in 2005 were off the mark or just unfair, and none explained his Bavarian heritage adequately.  Here was something that I could do.  What’s at stake here is the truth, you know. 

Chris Cash: What are the important aspects of Pope Benedict’s youth that shape who he is as Pope?

Pursell: I’ll list them briefly and let the book go into detail: 1) his devout Catholic family – His father and mother had a solid marriage and nurtured a little community of faith and prayer at home with their children.  2) the local, south-eastern Bavarian Catholic culture – Religion is this region is public, festive, colorful, beautiful, and ever-present, even in this day and age.  3) his humble socioeconomic background – Joseph Ratzinger did not grow up a member of the entitled, opulent middle class that dominates the West today.  4) his education – He had a classical education, studying Greek and Latin, during a time in Germany when a base, stupid, racist ideology (i.e. Nazism) infected all parts of the State and much of society. 

Chris Cash: Tell us more about the personality of Pope Benedict and why the media has misunderstood him?

Pursell: I found a unanimous chorus of opinion among the people who have known and worked with him for decades: he is a simple, humble man.  That’s it.  The same we saw and heard in the USA in April 2008.  He has a regular, modest existence, and makes almost no personal demands.  The cook in his residence, when he was Archbishop of Munich, said, “He ate whatever was put in front of him.” 

The mainstream media missed this because it has mainly focused on all the controversies in and around the Church over the past couple of decades.  As Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger had to deal with most of them.  The media, which are always desperate for heated conflict, readily accepted him as the lightning rod for frustrated Catholics and non-Catholics of various persuasions.  But there’s much more to him that his prior job. 

Chris Cash: Can you share a little about his humorous side? 

Pursell:  Do you know he won an award in Bavaria for his humor?  That in itself was kind of a joke as well, but still well deserved.  He is not a joke-teller, but he readily sees the inherent comedy in everyday situations and throughout history itself.  Those who paid attention to his visit to the US this past April saw and heard a bit of it.  His humor is wry and self-deprecating.  Without it, the burdens of his high office would be even more difficult to bear. 

Chris Cash: What is the biggest challenge facing Pope Benedict today, and how is he uniquely qualified to deal with that challenge?

Pursell: His challenge is the same facing all popes, bishops, priests, religious, and devout laity: how does one convey Christ to others, especially given all the rivals and distractions in this world of ours?  That’s all he really cares about.  That as many hearts as possible turn toward God, toward a life of radical, complete, self-giving love, the love that gives hope, forgives, redeems, and saves. 

He is eminently qualified to do this, first through his consecration as the successor to St. Peter, then through his life-long record of superior excellence in writing and teaching theology, ministering to the faithful as a bishop, and maintaining the clarity and purity of Catholic orthodoxy, which stands for right teaching, and not oppression of any kind. 

Benedict XVI stands for true continuity with the papacy of John Paul II (aka the Great).  Together their legacy will be the solidification of the Church following the Second Vatican Council, the documents of which will serve the faith until modernity turns into something rather different.  And I’m not holding my breath for that one.

[You can find more of this interview with Brennan at CatholicSpotlight.com.  Brennan's book is available at The Catholic Company (http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1002592/Benedict-Bavaria/).]