Catholic Exchange

Protestant Film Company Makes Anti-Catholic “Christian” Film

On December 7, Gener8Xion Entertainment, a prominent Protestant film company, will release Noëlle. Catholic League president Bill Donohue disputes the claim that the movie is merely "a parable of forgiveness and grace":

"We've seen the movie and it's a gem. In the synopsis provided by Gener8Xion, it accurately describes Jonathan Keene as ‘a young Catholic priest seemingly devoid of genuine human emotion'; his job is ‘to do what he does best: shut down a failing parish.' Then there is ‘the child-like Fr. Simeon Joyce, a faithful but disillusioned priest who blatantly disregards church regulations, uses church monies to pay an old fisherman's medical bills and spends most of his time drinking at the local pub.' Both priests are portrayed as losers.

"Viewers learn that the only reason Fr. Keene became a priest is because he felt guilty about getting a girl pregnant when he was in college; to top things off, he pressured her to have an abortion. Fr. Joyce, the alcoholic, has serious reservations about celibacy and his idea of heaven is a jolly good Christmas party. Fr. Joyce tells Fr. Keene he wants to marry a woman named Marjorie so he can help raise her illegitimate kid, saying he ‘made a vow to God not to the Church.' But Fr. Keene, a first-class klutz, is also in love with the same woman: he is shown bolting in the middle of Midnight Mass to be with her, knocking over a filled chalice and ripping off his vestments.

"Throughout the film, confession is trivialized, celibacy is ridiculed, the Virgin Mary is disrespected, nuns are belittled, last rites are mocked, and priestly vocations are caricatured. In short, that which is uniquely Catholic is trashed. However, the plot and the acting are so deliriously absurd that it is impossible for us to get too worked up about this flick.

"It means nothing that the movie has a pro-life message. Stereotypes about Protestant ministers abound, raising the question, Why didn't Gener8Xion choose to mock one of their own clergy? Similarly, given that the film's writer, David Hall, has said that his primary interest was in ‘dealing with hypocrisy,' why didn't he consult with Sen. Charles Grassley about all those ‘prosperity church' pastors being investigated for ripping off their flock? We know why, and that's why the Catholic League exists."

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    It hurts to think that this how our Protestant Brothers and Sisters really see our Catholic clergy and us.  It is actions like this that paint a very bad picture of all our priests.

     

    I guess this is another example that some people will produce anything to make nickel.

     

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Clearly this movie is not a parable about forgiveness and grace.  It is a movie to mock the Catholic priesthood.

  3. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Sealed     Bill, you're a great American!     Sealed

     

       http://www.papersculpt.com/american_flag.htm

  4. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    God loves you .

    Permit me again to second zephyr424’s appreciation of Mr. Donohue and his organization.

    And, as for the ‘Civil’ in rights, civility is harder and harder to come by from the ‘anti-s’ out there. Just who needs ‘Chick as a flick’ films?

    Remember, I love you, too .

    In our delighted glory in our Infant King,

    Pristinus Sapienter

    (wljewell @catholicexchange.com or … yahoo.com)

  5. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Tarheel – this production company no more represents all Protestants' views of the Catholic Clergy and Catholics than do the priests portrayed in the movie represent all Catholic Priests.

  6. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Fizzist,

    I strongly suspect that the degree to which our Seperated brothers and sisters see us like the characters in this film has a lot to do with how many Catholics they know, and how seriously they take D—– T———- S——-, similar anti-Catholic Bible Colleges, and the Seventh-Day Adventists.

    In truth, Protestants are like a box of chocolates.  The same person can be surprised that we don't worship Mary and the Saints, but also believe in transubstantiation! 

  7. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Hmm.  A bit disturbing.  A quick check shows that GenX is the distribution company .. and as such is publicly held.  The "author" of the movie was interviewed by CatholicDigest (not the best source of orthodoxy, but not the worst).  Read it here:

    http://www.catholicdigest.com/article/qa-david-wall/1

    Walls seems more genuine in the interview. Let's hope and pray that God can still use messages of such to touch the lives of those in need, without damage.

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