Marylebone Ordinariate Group: Three Nights out at the Pictures

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Three Nights out at the Pictures

Today, a short post bringing to your attention two films that should be worth looking out for in 2012, and a reminder about a film that is out now. It is a rare joy to be able to highlight three new films that include the Catholic Church without either being ludicrous or hypercritical.

The first film, for which credit for bringing it to our attention must be given to Fr Tim Finigan is the War of the Vendée. It looks as if it will be an astonishing film, notable not only for its use of a cast of 250 young Catholics, but in that it dares to tell what is a very politically incorrect and unfashionable story, being the story of the uprising by and then brutal crushing of loyal Catholics in the dark days of vicious religious repression that followed the French Revolution. The film is due out in January 2012.

In recent years, there has been much debate over whether or not the War of the Vendée constituted the first genocide of modern times. The debate has focused on the technicalities of the definition of the word genocide, which in the circumstances seems rather irrelevant. What is not in dispute is that the Revolutionary forces massacred Catholics who had done no wrong other than to refuse to colloborate with the barbaric excesses of the new regime, and who were prepared to fight for the Faith.

The second, much happier, film is The Unseen World, a film that will cover the life of Blessed John Henry Newman, particularly focusing on the priestly life and its challenges and blessings. This Rome Reports footage talks of the film being released in mid 2011, but it seems that it is now scheduled for release in June 2012.

Finally, you might still be able to catch We Have A Pope as it is being labelled in the UK, Habemus Papam in certain other countries. It is a tale of a newly elected Pope who has a panic attack at the thought of his new responsibilities, and of his programme of treatment. The settings are beautiful, and the attention paid to getting the wardrobe correct is impressive.

Enjoy the films.

2 comments:

AndrewWS14 December 2011 at 09:24
Not much chance of the Newman or Vendee films being shown in mainstream cinemas, though ...
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Marylebone Ordinariate Group14 December 2011 at 09:36
Probably not, but they probably merit a special effort to track them down. The Newman probably one stands more chance of making it to the mainstream than the Vendée, but in any case there are always DVDs and downloads.
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Blessed John Henry Newman on the hope for Reunion

… I gather up and bear in memory those familiar affectionate companions and counsellors, who in Oxford were given to me, one after another, to be my daily solace and relief; and all those others, of great name and high example, who were my thorough friends, and showed me true attachment in times long past….

And I earnestly pray for this whole company, with a hope against hope, that all of us, who once were so united, and so happy in our union, may even now be brought at length, by the Power of the Divine Will, into One Fold and under One Shepherd.

Apologia pro Vita Sua

Blessed John Henry Newman's Prayer for Unity

O Lord Jesus Christ, who when Thou wast about to suffer didst pray for Thy disciples to the end of time that they might all be one, as Thou art in the Father and the Father in Thee, look down in pity on the manifold divisions among those who profess Thy faith and heal the many wounds which the pride of man and the craft of Satan have inflicted on Thy people.

Break down the walls of separation which divide one party and denomination of Christians from another. Look with compassion on the souls who have been born in one or other of these communions, which not Thou, but man, hath made.

Set free the prisoners from these unauthorised forms of worship, and bring them all to the one communion which Thou didst set up at the beginning – the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Teach all men that the See of Peter, the Holy Church of Rome, is the foundation, centre, and instrument of Unity. Open their hearts to the long forgotten truth that the Holy Father, the Pope, is Thy Vicar and representative; and that in obeying him in matters of religion they are obeying Thee, so that as there is but one company in heaven above, so likewise there may be one communion, confessing and glorifying Thy holy Name, here below. Amen

Fr Ignatius Harrison, the former Provost of the London Oratory, on Unity

Another of the Holy Father’s outstanding achievements is his inspiring work for Christian Unity in setting-up the Ordinariates for former Anglicans. What a brilliant way of cutting through the plethora of mealy-mouthed verbiage and foggy thinking that has characterized so much ecumenical activity in recent decades, verbiage and fogginess which may indeed have had the very best of intentions, but which nevertheless achieved so little in real terms.

Let us also pray with all our heart and mind and strength that our vitally important ecumenical journey with our Greek and Russian Orthodox brethren will continue apace, that our charitable and respectful dialogue with them will bear much fruit, so that the universal Church might once again breathe with two whole lungs, and so that soon there may be but one flock and one shepherd. Domine, ut sit!