A new film about a panic-prone Pope who needs a psychoanalyst has divided Italy's Catholics, with a call for its boycott coming from the pages of an influential bishops' newspaper.
A new film about a panic-prone Pope who needs a psychoanalyst has divided Italy's Catholics, with a call for its boycott coming from the pages of an influential bishops' newspaper. Writing in the Avvenire daily, Vatican expert Salvatore Izzo said Italian director Nanni Moretti's film Habemus Papam (We have a Pope) was not respectful towards the head of the world's Roman Catholics and would be "boring" for non-believers.
Raising a storm: Nanni Moretti's movie Habemus Papam shows the
Pope to be panic-stricken and visiting a pyschoanalyst for help. Pic/AFP
"We shouldn't touch the Pope ufffd the rock on which Jesus founded his Church," said Izzo, adding that "even priests" had absolved the film after its release on Friday "with the curious justification that Moretti could have been meaner." "Why should we support financially that which offends our religion?" said Izzo, who writes about the Vatican for Italian news agency AGI. The film comes just ahead of Easter, on Sunday. The film starring 85-year-old French actor Michel Piccoli as the man who is reluctant to become pope is being shown in 447 cinemas and grossed $1.9 millionu00a0(Rsu00a084 crore) over the weekendu00a0-- receiving mostly positive reviews.
Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica praised the film and Vatican Radio said that it contained "no irony, no caricature" of the pope. Izzo's editorial does not mean the Italian bishops' paper shares his views and some observers are hoping the controversy does not go any further. "It would be embarrassing.... This film is respectful. It has to be taken as the light comedy that it is," said Vatican expert Luigi Accattoli.
Sandro Magister, another Vatican expert, said there are divisions over the film but no official condemnation from Church authorities. "If there was to be one, it would only help the producer. He would be very happy with a polemic that is completely without foundation," he said. It is unlikely that any boycott will go far, as previous such initiatives by the Church have tended to have a boomerang effect. Asked about the controversy in an interview Moretti said, "There is freedom of expression in my work. I am not commenting." The director then quipped, "People can boycott it after seeing it!" Many commentators have hailed a film that touches a sensitive point.
Reviews
The movie is showing in 447 cinemas. Jesuit journal Civilt Cattolica praised the movie, and Vatican Radio was pleased to report that it featured "no irony" relating to the pope and was not a "caricature".
Did you know?
The Da Vinci Code in 2006 also received heavy criticism from the Church but the agitations only helped and became a blockbuster
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