The Catholic Message Board

I never watched the show entirely. But years back I came across an episode where there was an angry mob outside of Father Brown's church or rectory. Father Brown had some man inside whom the angry mob was demanding that Father Brown release.

The mob was saying things like "it doesn't matter how bad the crime, the Church has no right to hold this man against his will!".

It's implied that the mob does not know exactly what the man did, just they're incensed over him being ostensibly held against his will inside the church. Father Brown is trying to quell their passions by saying it's for the best that the man is kept where he is.

The mob starts demanding to know what exactly this man did to warrant this treatment, laced with comments that regardless what it is, no infraction deserves this type of treatment by the church.

The scene cuts forward moments in time after which the priest had told them what the man did (his explanation is not given to the tv viewing audience). And now they're no longer a mob angry at the church, but their demanding that the man be turned over to them so they can pour out their own justice upon him.


I only saw this brief scene, but it has stuck with me over the years. An angry mom believing that it's so justified in its fury under one set of assumptions... only to have those assumptions be completely upended; and now they're just as confident in their anger which is being directed in a complete opposite direction.

And the wisdom of this priest to know how fickle the apparent high principles of the mob actually is.


Does anyone know what episode this would be from?

I never watched the show much, but if I remember, the name of the books by G. K. Chesterton was Fr. Brown, and the American version by Ralph McInerny was Fr. Dowling. Same concept, different side of the pond.
I tried doing a brief search of the episodes, but I didn't see anything similar.

Old (1974) or new (2013-present)?

I've read most of the short stories, and that does not ring a bell