Homer Simpson is a 'true Catholic', Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano says

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Homer Simpson, the beer-guzzling, doughnut-scarfing overweight patriarch in the hit animated series The Simpsons, is a "true Catholic", according to the official newspaper of The Vatican.

In a curiously complimentary article about the character, who is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the publication L'Osservatore Romano says the show features recurring themes about Christian faith, religion and questions about God.

The Simpsons family "recites prayers before meals and, in their own peculiar way, believes in the life thereafter," the UK newspaper The Telegraph quoted the piece as saying. "Few people know it, and he does everything he can to hide it, but it is true: Homer J. Simpson is a Catholic."

The article acknowledges that Simpson is often seen falling asleep while attending church services with his family as well as his constant put-downs of evangelical neighbor Ned Flanders.

The article also cites the 2005 Simpsons episode "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star," which sees Homer Simpson's mischievous son Bart being forced to attend Catholic school after being expelled. He and his father are then swayed toward Catholicism by Father Sean, who is voiced by Liam Neeson, and Simpson converts to the religion.

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