I haven't seen anything posted about this:
Catholic Movie on Abuse
by startingover 7 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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BluesBrother
I watched the trailer .(Ugh!)
Something similar was screened on BBC "Panorama " a couple of weeks ago. It featured the same perv. and claimed that Bishop Ratzinger was instrumental in a co ordinated cover up
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Mulan
On The View (daytime women's talk show in the U.S.) last week, they showed clips from this movie and discussed it as a "must see". Evidently it is quite the expose` on the Catholic Church and the current Pope,
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greendawn
Why do they have to force those catholic priests to remain celibate? Then all sorts of perverted things can happen. And we see the Vatican wants cover ups, just like the FDS.
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fullofdoubtnow
If the trailer is anything to go by, it won't be an easy movie to watch. The Panorama programme over here last week was pretty unpleasant viewing as well, but these things need exposing.
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hambeak
I don't think I could watch it as the entire subject absolutely disgusts me
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blondie
This movie is not BY the Catholic Church. I saw it last year at the SNAP conference and it was very disturbing. I was able to meet the people who put this together. SNAP has some very able and professional people fighting hidden abuse in institutions such as the Catholic Church.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20061002/cm_huffpost/030760
Amy Berg: Deliver us from Evil and Censoring Sex vs. Violence
Amy Berg Mon Oct 2, 3:03 PM ET
I am the director and producer of the film Deliver Us From Evil, a documentary about a pedophile priest who was protected from justice for over 25 years by the Catholic Church under the direct eye of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony. I have spent the past four years investigating this story as a journalist (at KCBS News and CNN Investigations), and have written and produced numerous stories documenting church cover-up and blatant manipulation of parishioners and innocent Catholic families.
Recently the MPAA shared their decision with Lionsgate, the film's distributor, to disapprove the Deliver Us From Evil trailer for general audiences due to "overt comments about child molestation throughout." They didn't offer any specific feedback about an offending image or word (and indeed there were no graphic images or swear words included), but rather the very idea of child sexual abuse was cited, despite the MPAA having been provided a list of films to be targeted for trailer attachment that included only R rated films. The MPAA would have slapped the trailer with a 'red band' rating, a very rare label that in effect relegates the trailer to art house theaters, as most mainstream exhibitors won't play red band trailers even in front of R rated films for fear of backlash. Because of this, Lionsgate has no real choice but to release the film (and thus the trailer) unrated by the MPAA. It is important to me to tell the truth about this issue and sadly that just wasn't possible within the MPAA's parameters.
This film and its trailer deals frankly with an important and very real ongoing social ill- and one that is routinely discussed on primetime and network news at that. In fact, the red banded trailer opens with a Paula Zahn news segment which covers a portion of the very same story as does the film. That it would be disapproved for mainstream exhibition is especially infuriating given that I have repeatedly seen horror film trailers that depict women being tortured or mutilated in connection with sexual activity, murder, gunfire and other extremely disturbing adult content playing before PG13 movies.
But I fear there is more at play here than the longstanding hypocrisy exhibited by the MPAA and other cultural institutions when it comes to censoring sex vs. violence. Through this year's brilliant documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, made by my colleague Kirby Dick, I have discovered that two clergy members are present (and possibly involved) during the film rating process. I do not know whether there were clergy involved in the MPAA's decision to disapprove the trailer, but given the atmosphere in which these decisions are made, I can't help but fear that perhaps it was as much the idea of high ranking Church officials as fallible and possibly even criminal that the MPAA found unacceptable as it was the idea of sexual abuse.
Along these same lines, this week Cardinal Mahony presided over a "Red-Mass" in Los Angeles for thousands of members of the judicial system- invitees spanned all the way up to members of the US Supreme Court, the District Attorney and City Attorney. Police Department heads were also invited to a special law enforcement mass the previous week. These officials, who often have private dinners with Mahony and accept communion from him personally, are likely to see clergy cases and survivors in their courtrooms (there are over 550 civil sexual abuse cases that have been brought against the Los Angeles Archdiocese since the scandal erupted) need to be able to evaluate both sides of the issue impartially. Thus, 600 of the same public officials were asked to attend a screening of my film held immediately prior to the Mass and sponsored by SNAP, the Survivors Network Of Those Abused By Priests, in a bid for them to simply give equal time to the victims of clergy abuse as they were giving to the Archdiocese and Roger Mahony. None attended.
What must the 100,000 survivors of clergy abuse (and the vast number of survivors who have yet to come forward) feel like seeing the government officials who are supposed to protect, represent and serve them behave in this way, and seeing a trailer for a film that honestly depicts their ordeal and the very fact of their abuse be treated by the MPAA as unacceptable for mainstream Americans to view and understand?
Always ask yourself "Does this make it easier for victims to find help and come forward?" because that's the fundamental question. Kids are safe, abusers are exposed and parents are warned ONLY when victims are able to report their crimes. If victims and witnesses stay silent, nothing changes.
1) Learn about "safe touch." Make sure your kids know about it. Encourage your school, athletic league, YWCA, and other youth groups to offer such prevention programs.
2) Report suspected abuse, no matter how vague it might seem or how long ago it might have happened.
3) Support legislative reform efforts that make it easier for victims to report crimes and pursue their abusers in court. Especially important are extending/eliminating the civil and criminal statutes of limitations.
4) Join one or more of the independent lay reform groups that are working tirelessly to make the church a healthier place and force some accountability from bishops.
5) Every chance you get, write and submit letters to the editor on this subject. Studies show letters are one of the most widely read parts of any newspaper. And as long as the issue is discussed in public, everyone learns and everyone benefits. (See tips on our website: ( www.SNAPnetwork.org )
6) Find/create chances for survivors to speak publicly. When people hear about our experiences, they become more concerned. When we have a chance to be heard, we heal. Whether it's Catholic or non-Catholic, large or small, urge your organization to have a survivor come and speak.
7) Ask your pastor or others to print material about SNAP in church bulletins or publications. ("Abused by clergy? There's help. SNAP is a confidential self-help group. Call 314-862-7688 or go to www.SNAPnetwork.org "). Victims come forward when they feel welcomed and know they'll be supported. That, in turn, makes the church safer for everyone.
8) Think back to former students, parishioners, and staff who may have lived near or worked around suspected abusers. It's hard to do, but discuss the abuse with them.
9) Remain vigilant. Complacency never protects kids. Only continued concern and awareness does.
10) Remain skeptical. Remember, many of the same church officials who once told us "We know of no abuse in this diocese" and "Fr. Mike's problem is an aberration" and "We would never transfer a molester" are now trying to tell us everything's OK. Judge church leaders on their deeds, not their words.
11) If you feel obliged to "support" an accused cleric, even if you feel the allegation is baseless, please do so privately. Publicly backing a suspected molester contributes to an intimidating climate that makes it harder for victims and witnesses to come forward. So pray for the accused, visit him/her, bring him/her food, and comfort him/her one-on-one. Remember, the victim and/or the victim's family may also be members of your parish and deserve the same Christian attitude during this very difficult time.
12) Donate to SNAP and ask your friends to do the same.
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Paisley
How wonderful that there is an organized effort to expose all this abuse.