Reviewing Movies

The Holy Catholic Church is no longer universal, unfractured or particularly sacred if one subscribes to the point of view portrayed here. At the best of times the study of theology is a shattering experience but in recent times controversies that strike at the heart of the institution of the priesthood have added an entirely new level of stress. Given the 2000 + year history of Christianity celibacy has been a relatively recent accretion. While monks have practiced it for millennia before and after the birth of Christendom most religious leaders have had spouses and families.

As a follower of that heretic Luther I take issue with the pope on a number of planes. His stance on birth control and abortion, the place of women in the church, celibacy, his assertion that his is the only true Christian way, Mariology and the virgin birth, the silencing of modern Christian thinkers, and his love affair with Dogma are all turnoffs. With congregational attendance dwindling, priests in short supply and the average age of cloistered nuns in the mid-seventies the tradition role of the church is coming under severe fire. In Canada many dioceses have been nearly bankrupted by their participation in residential schools and orphanages as a result of the abuses they led to. The abuse of altar boys seems to be a world-wide phenomenon. Given all this the church seems bent on a course of repression, denial and cover-up. Are the transgressors venal or is there something inherently wrong about denying men in the prime of life a sexual outlet?

The young men at the centre of Conspiracy of Silence are caught up in this controversy in a deeply personal manner. With the eyes of the world and reporters in particular watching and looking for blood the church seems to expect its seminarians to both act and be seen to act in a manner that is beyond reproach. This at a time when these lads are on the eve of a lifetime commitment and attempting to enjoy their last few years of freedom. College students do what college students have always done. They have late night dorm room discussions, they go out to local pubs, they engage in sports. Can these young men be expected to be any different?