As much as we don't all love hearing that foreboding gong and feeling like we should take a moment to look wistfully into the distance, it is probably about time those folks on the Angelus started to shake things up a bit. It's 2015 for God's sake, time to jazz that bad boy up.
RTE have announced they are planning to change up one of the broadcaster's longest-running programmes (yes we're still talking about the Angelus, it's a one-minute programme apparently) which has been shown at 6pm on RTE1 since mankind first walked the earth.
There has been a few changes down the years to it but this time around, RTE have decided to use the minute to showcase newly commissioned Irish films. So instead of some dude having a bit of reflective time while hanging out his washing, we will be getting a one-minute short film. Nice.
On Monday 19th October, the new set of short films will air and will be shown in daily rotation, with the pieces aiming to be "conducive to prayer or reflection for people of all faiths and none."
As well as that, RTÉ One have designated one slot per week, on Fridays at 6pm, as The People’s Angelus slot, showcasing the work of aspiring filmmakers and artists in the wider community.
RTÉ Genre Head of Religious Programmes, Roger Childs, said: “The Angelus broadcasts on RTÉ One and RTÉ Radio 1 have been a feature of Irish life and Irish broadcasting for decades and continue to offer a space for prayer and reflection in an ever changing, modern Ireland. We are delighted to announce the six newly-commissioned films and The People’s Angelus slot on Fridays and hope that the Angelus will continue to afford people of all faiths and none some quiet space in a hectic day-to-day world."
And for those of you out there that might want to know what the Angelus actually is, it's a Christian Prayer, based on St Luke’s account of the Annunciation in the Bible. So now you know.
Is this the most you've ever thought about the Angelus? Us too.
Check out one of the short films on the RTE Player here.
