Movies Depicting the Church Incorrectly

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I don’t think they were lying.

I can’t know for sure.

Does anyone know how to locate the thread?

It was from early December 2019.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed The Two Popes. I did not see it as a hit piece. To me, it exposed both men, their strengths and their weaknesses, but mainly their love for the Church and it’s people.
 
Good films: The Song of Bernadette:


Good/bad: I Confess (it goes in & out of flashbacks so one has to really pay attention to the dialogue):


The Quiet Man (note how Ward Bond [the priest] and Arthur Shields [Barry Fitzgerald’s brother who played the minister] play their respective roles):
 
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At least it was kinder to the Irish than dreck like “Ryan’s Daughter”. I know Alec Guinness refused to play the priest in “Ryan’s Daughter” because he didn’t think the character was an accurate representation of how a Catholic priest would act. I don’t have an issue with the priest character in that film - Guinness was a convert and probably didn’t have a full understanding of the spectrum of how Catholic priests act, plus he had other differences with director Lean from a past movie and probably just wanted to get out of making the picture. However, although I am okay with the priest character who is probably the second most decent person in the film behind Robert Mitchum, that movie sure did portray the Irish in a terrible light (as well as once again emphasizing David Lean’s obsession with adulterous wives which seems to be the theme of most if not all of his movies).
 
I’ve not seen either of those yet. I think one of them was on Netflix and then disappeared? He was brilliant in Suffragette as Inspector Steed. He was possibly the most complex character in that movie, because it was unclear whose side he was on. As a police officer, he represented the Establishment, the status quo, the forces of law and coercion. But he was also on the side of the women. He clearly cared about them. When he tried to urge them to desist from their protests, it was because he couldn’t bear to see what they were suffering as a result. He seemed to be a kind man who just didn’t think that the right to vote was worth what they were prepared to go through to achieve it. I also saw him in Paddington 2, Trespass Against Us, and Hampstead. Like you say, I don’t know why he’s not as famous as actors like Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, etc.
 
The Roman collar could also indicate one of several Anglican or Lutheran or even Methodist denominations.
 
The author of the Outlander books is Catholic. Yes, she shows this priest as very backwards but as her story unfolds she shows priests in the best of light as well. One of her best in my opinion, is when staying at a French monastery when Jamie’s is injured and near death, Claire goes to adoration and then has a long conversation with a monk, telling him everything and discovering God again. She can be controversial in her presentation of Catholicism and often gets criticized for it but she shows it far more in a very good light than bad. One scene with a priest hearing Jamie’s confession …very loudly…to thwart the bad guys from discovering the women sneaking in to baptize their children is hysterical.
 
I would need to re read the story in the book to see if she told the story the same as the movie. It might have been a directors change to move the story quicker. I don’t recall the priest in question being the one to give the orders. I do know she researches the heck out of her books. So, she may have have told it the same as the show or it may be a change the movie made. She has made some errors in her history but very few. I loved the books and I think the shows are pretty good but not near as good as her books…which tends to always be true for me!
 
Yes, but at other points in the movie, it states the family is Catholic.
 
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I love the show, but was disturbed by the antics of the priest. Don’t want to spoil for anyone, but that thing that happened with Geillis Duncan I found especially horrid.
 
Pattylt said:
her story unfolds she shows priests in the best of light as well. One of her best in my opinion, is when staying at a French monastery when Jamie’s is injured and near death, Claire goes to adoration and then has a long conversation with a monk, telling him everything and discovering God again. She can be controversial in her presentation of Catholicism and often gets criticized for it but she shows it far more in a very good light than bad. One scene with a priest hearing Jamie’s confession …very loudly…to thwart the bad guys from discovering the women sneaking in to baptize their children is hysterical.
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Yes! And the scenes of the French nuns caring for Claire after her miscarriage were inspired! They were very touching and presented Catholic nuns in a very sympathetic light.
 
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Im not sure if details are useful to your daughter but the TV series Velvet shows a 1950s Mass with the priest standing behind the altar facing the people and using the vernacular.
 
@(name removed by moderator) @Pattylt

This just occurred to me but have you guys ever noticed how much trouble Claire would’ve avoided if she’d just kept her mouth shut? 😂😂
 
Haven’t you figured out that that’s often the point of her story lines! 😂. She’s blunt even in her own time period but for 1700’s? Oh my…is she!
 
I did! I think it’s a statement of free speech and women’s rights. Claire’s used to running her mouth off and served as a nurse in the war so she’s not taking anyone’s cheek-and neither are they! The interactions are sometimes comic even when they’re meant to be dramatic or serious. Like when Geillis is being arrested for witchcraft and Claire decides to intervene- like, woman, you’re in an accused witch’s house in an era where witch trials happened! You’re from the future, you know how those things ended! Keep your mouth shut!
 
LilyM said:
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Jenniferolg:
My daughter is doing a college project where she is investigating how the media portrays the Catholic Church. Can anyone think of some recent movies and or TV shows where aspects of the Church are portrayed incorrectly? She has to watch a lot of movies and any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.
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'The New Pope might be one. Warning - there is sexual content.

Two things that struck me are
  1. Pope is in a coma.from.whicb doctors do not think he will recover. While he is still alive, a replacement is elected and installed. Of course comatose Pope recovers and trouble ensues. Would.never happen given that it is not that uncommon for people to come.out of a coma - an election simply would.not take place until the Pope was.dead.
  2. An English Catholic Cardinal is ‘Sir’ John. Assuming this is a title awarded by the Queen of England and not a Pontifical Knighthood, I don’t think a Catholic cleric.would be allowed to accept.
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He could be a baronet, which is an heriditory title. They are also addressed and referred to as Sir First name Lastname
 
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