Shining a Spotlight on a Catholic church more concerned with self preservation

There’s been a growing fascination among film-makers with the child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. The latest, Spotlight, opens in Britain next week. It depicts an institution concerned first and foremost with its own protection Just Imagine the scene: a studio pitching session. A young writer dives in, not wasting a second of the allotted five minutes. A story of salvation and redemption, he begins. OK, say the money men guardedly, not for the first time. A group of alienated youngsters, he continues, kids who’ve fallen through a patchy and indifferent care system, are taken in hand by … a Catholic priest … who provides them with a refuge, a community where they make their own rules. A pause. So who finds him out? say the studio execs. Where’s the

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

Subscribe for unlimited access

SUBSCRIBE NOW

From just £30 quarterly

  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
  PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.

Already a subscriber? Login

User Comments (3)

Comment by: DrRosemaryEileenMcHugh

Posted: 23/01/2016 02:24:54

SPOTLIGHT is an excellent movie opening this week in London. The movie shows the hard work of investigative reporters at the Boston Globe who have the courage to take on the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church. Widespread clergy sexual abuses/rapes in Boston are found. The movie focuses on the investigative reporting aspect of the problem, and the fact that the Catholic culture of Boston of protecting the Church had gotten in the way previously of a desire to search for the truth. Predator clergy were still in ministry and the cardinal and bishops were continually covering up for the abusers and ignoring the victims.
I am a family physician from Chicago. I went to medical school at Trinity College Dublin and did further training at the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre in Birmingham, England, before returning home to Chicago. I have met many who have been sexually abused by priests. I was sexually assaulted by a Carmelite priest when I was a young doctor in Dublin. In 2010, I was able to share my story with the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, who made my predator accountable. Restorative justice is needed for the victims of clergy sexual abuse worldwide.
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, MD, MSpir, USA

Comment by: noelekim

Posted: 22/01/2016 21:16:30

"To enjoy reading this full article either you need to be a subscriber or registered user".

I *am* a registered user, but I still can't find a way to read the article. Suggestions?

Comment by: Beno Bigote

Posted: 22/01/2016 03:04:08

I wonder if a film should also be made of the moral status of the movie industry?