I watched it.
Read about it here. View it here. It is excellent.*
Although it really opened old wounds and reminded me of things we've all discussed on our blogs.
Frontline covered the Maciel scandal as well. I almost forgot how perfectly hidden and protected - even supported - Maciel was ... freaky.
I think one reason Pope Francis is ignored, and in some cases is opposed, is because he is bringing authentic and essential reform to the Church. Corruption and immorality can no longer hide behind ecclesiastical window dressing and decorum.
NB: The day after - other viewpoints here.
UPDATE 2/28/14: Finally Fr. Z chimes in - he has a very good review here - "It is beautifully filmed, and the production values are very high." *See - I told you it is excellent!
Pray for Papa.
ReplyDeleteHe da man! :)
DeleteI could not watch it all, too painful. I did watch much of it. It did not seem balanced as many will say it was ... it left me feeling a sense of schizophrenia throughout the sections I watched on the topic of homosexual behavior. So too, there were serious questions not asked in relationship to those wounded deeply by the adult abusers. The long term effects ... the abused child's adult life, particularly if they had to deal w/gender identity crisis. Reading the 'mother's tale' in the F.W. case this week and the disfunction of the abused sons, this questions was raised in my mind again. It is a serious issue that cannot be spoken.
ReplyDeleteI liked it because it offered a completely secular look at what has gone on. It was a sort of synopsis of what bloggers picked up as each story broke and discussed haphazardly on our blogs. I wasn't happy with the way Benedict was depicted - but it illustrates the bias against him quite well.
DeleteYou are not alone in that sense of schizophrenia - it's a huge problem in the Church.
"dysfunction" correction
ReplyDelete"Corruption and immorality can no longer hide behind liturgical window dressing and decorum." Yes, thanks to Pope Benedict, who never bought into Maciel's persona and rid us of him as soon as he was pope.
ReplyDeleteJust FYI, the LC have never been interested in the pre-1962 liturgy, and their NO services are on the conservative end of US parish liturgies, but hardly traditional. I just attended my great aunt's funeral, and one of her sons, a LC, was the presider. It was your average modern catholic funeral with Eagle's Wings and remembrances, but they did have every one kneel at the "Behold the Lamb of God..." The LC and traditionalists have never got along, and it is the traditionalists who are sniping at the pope and not the "conservative NO" crowd.
I have acquaintance who are in and have been in the Legion - They have weathered the storm. My comment wasn't so much a reference to the Legion.
DeleteSo you have evidence that some (many?) of those who criticize the pope are immoral and corrupt and try to hide that through liturgy and manners? That's a very serious charge, and I'm not buying it.
DeleteI don't really see much difference between your comment and some of your other posts in the last couple months and papal critics like Louie Verrecchio. Rash judgment coming and going. Aim higher, bro.
Scott - you misunderstand me. I don't read Louie V and I'm not familiar with his writing.
DeleteThe window dressing I'm referring to is the monsignors and others who have been in the news, part of the scandal - like the wealthy monsignor from the Vatican bank as well as some of the guys who lived in the Vatican but were part of the underworld - such as Monsignor Stenico who was involved in a gay prostitution scandal. All of these were rather high profile news, all had a good clerical image and were found out to be hiding something. I'm sure you've read speculation that many in the Vatican were afraid for their jobs, and several priests were returned to their diocese not too long ago.
Ok, but why the cracks about liturgy? They may play dress-up, but those kind of characters are not into liturgy. I'm sure your familiar with the state of liturgy in Rome and Italy in general--it's very low church.
DeleteSorry - I didn't mean it to sound like a crack about liturgy per se. Perhaps my next post can help clarify where I'm coming from in recent posts. Maybe not.
DeleteSorry if you are offended. It might be better to avoid this blog. Thanks for your kindness in helping me see my problems better.
I fixed it BTW - changed to ecclesiastical instead of liturgical. My mistake in the first place. Thanks again.
DeleteBickering like a couple prison cellmates, or sailors out to sea too long... LOL
DeleteToday, 3/3/14 I discovered who Louie Verrecchio is. I didn't read his post though.
DeleteSome time in the future, the false theology at work today will no longer be able to hide behind popular public opinion.
ReplyDelete“What has attracted so many to von Balthasar is that he appears to be promoting a new incarnation of Christ’s love in this world, in juxtaposition to a supposed rigid traditionalism which stifles love with rigid truth.” (Jame Larson, "Broken Cisterns": http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_2006/features_mar06.html)
I'm not following?
DeleteThat kind of appeal is happening again today. It divorces truth from charity. A renewed look at the teaching on divorce and re-marriage? That is not reform.
DeleteI read the article at the PBS site.
ReplyDeleteCardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga: "You can’t imagine the response of that huge crowd that was in St. Peter’s Square, because they expected a theological message, and they found somebody that is warm, that is near, that is one of us.”
What does that contrast mean exactly?
Barbie Latza Nadeau of The Daily Beast told FRONTLINE:
“One has to worry and wonder if he’s ever going to be able to live up to the legacy that he has already created. He’s already the best pope that anyone can remember.”
According to what criteria?
I think that is their personal opinion, don't you?
DeleteI did like the investigative nature, but the bias was so thick, I mean, guy from the Tablet, I guess I'm so frustrated because it had potential to be so good as far as the real scandals involved in the Church. They had the part about Ratzinger "changing the catechism" to condemn the gays; really? There's enough real scandal going on to fill the full show, why just make it a big joke. The video of the undercover investigation of the priest in gay bars was chilling, that was well done, but why make it about dogma.
ReplyDelete