"Spotlight" is the recounting of the "Spotlight" team of intrepid investigative reporters at the Boston Globe who broke the Catholic Church's clergy sex abuse story in January 2002--mainly concerning the Archdiocese of Boston. For starters, this is not a Church-bashing film even though it easily and rightfully could have been. It's an accurate, stark, almost understated presentation. It's rated "R" simply and appropriately for subject matter. Just enough of the horrific details of cases are disclosed in the film, the rest is hinted at discreetly.
This is a story that had to be told, and the filmmakers have done a capable and responsible job.
This is a story that had to be told, and the filmmakers have done a capable and responsible job.
NOT ENTERTAINMENT
"Spotlight"--as a feature film--is not a pseudo-documentary, nor is it juicy, sensational, exploitative entertainment. (And it feels wrong to critique it as such.) "Spotlight" is what I would call an "information film." The acting, too, is muted: none of the big name actors shine. The excellent cast seem to be humbly striving only to serve the story. Is it hard to watch? Yes, of course. The tone is somber, dreary and somewhat suffocating--as it should be. The tone is painstakingly consistent. The monolithic power of the Catholic Church (till 2002) over civic, religious and spiritual affairs in the city of Boston is chilling. It extended even into the Globe where employees (many of whom were Catholic) simply knew you don't take on the Catholic Church. They are even trained to believe that when the Catholic Church dismisses claims, they can't possibly be true. It took an outside editor from New York (the New York Times purchased the Boston Globe in 1993) to press the issue.
MAGNITUDE
The timeline unfolds without much fanfare. Little by little, the magnitude of the number of priests, victims, and the span of years and cover-ups becomes clearer and clearer. Since we, the audience, presumably know the sordid story and outcome, there are few surprises and no real highs, lows or even serious crisis points. The kicker is that everything, all the evidence was hiding in plain sight. All the reporters needed was a few names of priest-abusers, the secret code words "sick leave," "unassigned," and "leave of absence," and the cooperation of a few victims, lawyers and judges. Much is made of the fact that B.C. High (a Catholic Jesuit boys high school that some of the reporters themselves attended, maintained an infamous priest-coach molester on staff) is directly across the street from the Boston Globe building.
Ironically, both the Catholic Church in Boston and the Boston Globe were at the height of their influence at the beginning of the new millennium, while a third character--the internet--is just becoming a serious player (a billboard for big, bad AOL is subtly placed in the film).
WHO'S TO BLAME?
Very self-effacingly--and I would say unnecessarily and misplacedly--the film blames The Globe itself in a big way for not reporting the story years earlier when lawyers and victims provided plenty of damning information that went ignored. Whatever culpability The Globe bears, they more than made up for it by compiling overwhelming, carefully-researched evidence that wouldn't be just another isolated story that would get buried. "The Church" and Cardinal Law are distant, cold, uncaring shadows. The abusing priests are sick and distorted men--almost excused. The names Geoghan, Shanley and Talbot (among others) will conjure up ugly memories for all who lived at the heart of this nightmare or on its peripheries.
FOCUS ON THE VICTIMS
The faces and voices of the victims are given three-dimensional reality and the major focus. Even the heroic, crusading lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian--who insisted on bringing victims' cases to the courts to expose the Church's wrongdoing--is modestly underplayed.
DENIAL
Part of the initial incredulity of sectors of the public and the average Catholic in the pew to the Globe's scoop was due to the Globe's notorious anti-Catholicism since its very inception in 1872 (not unlike most of the old Boston WASP establishment). And many just didn't believe that so many heinous crimes of this nature could have been so well hidden for so long. If it were true, surely we would have known? Surely we would have heard some rumors and gossip? Whoever did know something was silenced with hush money, or gave up when crushed by the power of the Church's legal and "moral authority" arsenal and sway. But it didn't take long for the undeniable, verifiable veracity of the charges to grip the city and the world.
NO AFTERMATH
There is precious little aftermath in the film, as it wraps up on the day the first big story is released (there were a total of 600 stories run relentlessly about the scandal for at least a year afterward in the Globe). A few words of Epilogue are given, and then we are left with a gaping wound of sadness.
NO HOPE
There does not seem to be any hope put forth in this film. Not about healing for victims or reform for the Church. But maybe that was not a part of the film's scope. Maybe there is no way to find the silver lining here. There is also hardly any insight into the root causes of this terrible state of affairs. It's just raw evil on display. Perhaps this is the best way for this particular film to handle this grave matter. Sexual abuse destroys hope. No soothing, reassuring sugar-coating or "Hollywood ending" in this film.
NO GOD
There is hardly any mention of God in this film. No angry questioning of "Why did God allow this?!" or "Where was God?!" or "How could purported men of God do this?" or "This has destroyed my faith in God!" There is only mention of "devout Catholics" and those who "go to church" or "don't go to church." There didn't even need to be a distinction made between a good God and bad men who represent God (and are doing a terrible job at it) because God is pretty much absent from the film. The one tragically poignant mention of God is from a male victim, now an adult, who says: "You don't say no to God" (meaning when a priest propositioned him at twelve years old, the only right answer was "yes"). Again, perhaps this was the best way to handle "God" in this story that had nothing to do with a good God, and everything to do with bad men. (The Church, although divinely instituted by Christ and
guided by the Holy Spirit, is still human and sinful because of the free will
of her members--even those who hold the authority. Thankfully, the sacraments
and everything we need still operates through these men, regardless of their
personal holiness.)
THREE FLAWS
As I see it, three minor drawbacks to the film are:
1) They got Cardinal Law a bit wrong. They made him a much older man (he was only 68 in 2001) with a hint of an Irish accent (Wha?). They made him a rather flat--although bold--stereotypical bureaucratic figure, when in reality he was a magnetic, charismatic personality who had actually been a media favorite when he first came to Boston.
2) The feeble, brief explanations given for the (unfettered) abuse were screaming to be explored and were even contradictory.
1) They got Cardinal Law a bit wrong. They made him a much older man (he was only 68 in 2001) with a hint of an Irish accent (Wha?). They made him a rather flat--although bold--stereotypical bureaucratic figure, when in reality he was a magnetic, charismatic personality who had actually been a media favorite when he first came to Boston.
2) The feeble, brief explanations given for the (unfettered) abuse were screaming to be explored and were even contradictory.
--"Celibacy is the issue. It creates a culture of secrecy." Really?? So if one attempts to practice (priestly) celibacy they have a good chance of being/becoming a depraved, predatory pedophile? And how are celibacy and secrecy related? This makes no sense. And sadly, most sex abusers of children? Married men.
--Another reason given is that some of the priests were "psycho-sexually stunted at the level of a 12-year-old"--which may be very true, but that does not make one an automatic repeat child molester. The one priest molester we see being interviewed begins to say that he was raped, but the thought was not continued. (The rest of that statistic is that it was discovered that some priests who molested children were molested by priests themselves when they were children. They grew up, became priests and continued the incestuous cycle.)
3) I would like to have seen some rage in the film. Some of the rage that I felt and still feel in the pit of my stomach. Perhaps the filmmakers are leaving that up to us, the audience.
THERE IS HOPE
But of course, there is hope. Although sexual abuse (and spiritual-sexual abuse) takes a deep, deep toll, and a certain proportion of the victims tragically committed suicide, emotional healing is always a possibility.
SEE THIS IMPORTANT FILM
"Spotlight" is an important film to see, even if you kept up and delved into these darkling waters--as I did--when they first hit the shore. The restrained even-handedness of the story-telling is remarkable and will prevent it from being a "controversial" film. It's truly a "talkie" film--as you would expect the milieu of a newspaper to be--but never tedious. The narrative and the horror is in the information itself each time more is unearthed. Why should you see this film? To honor the victims, first of all, and second of all to understand how corruption--of any sort--works, in order to be vigilant and oppose it. NEVER AGAIN.
Has ANY good come of all this sorrow? The suffering of the children, teens and their families has not been totally in vain. There is now a much greater awareness of the sexual abuse of minors all over the world, and new laws have been created to protect young people where there were none.
IMPORTANT ARTICLE ABOUT CSA SURVIVORS & HOW PRIESTS AND THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE CAN HELP: http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Faith-reclaimed-How-survivors-of-clergy-abuse-return-to-the-church/2/35/34046
Has ANY good come of all this sorrow? The suffering of the children, teens and their families has not been totally in vain. There is now a much greater awareness of the sexual abuse of minors all over the world, and new laws have been created to protect young people where there were none.
IMPORTANT ARTICLE ABOUT CSA SURVIVORS & HOW PRIESTS AND THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE CAN HELP: http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Faith-reclaimed-How-survivors-of-clergy-abuse-return-to-the-church/2/35/34046
OTHER STUFF:
WHAT ARE THE REAL ROOTS / REASONS / CAUSES FOR THIS TRAVESTY?
--this problem is centuries old
--it's not celibacy that is the problem, but a culture of secrecy brought about by a culture of absolute power and lack of accountability
--absolute power corrupts absolutely
--abuse of power is not an inevitability, it's a choice
--unbridled male chauvinistic power is insensitive to women, children and the vulnerable
--pedophiles automatically gravitate to wherever they have trusted access to children (seminaries, schools, sports teams, law enforcement, etc.)
--seminaries did not do good screening of candidates
--anyone who reported behavior was threatened (get kicked out of seminary themselves, lose a job/position)
--silence=loyalty
--silence/playing the game=perks, advancement
--it was a numbers game (to have lots of priests)
--it was keeping up appearances (bishops knew they could quash "problems," abusers knew they would never get in trouble and would always be shielded: the perfect set-up)
--it was keeping up appearances ("not on my watch")
--toward the middle of the 20th century, psychiatrists and psychologists got involved (assessments, "treatment") and kept giving the green light to put the priest back in ministry (bishops blindly "obeyed")
--it wasn't known that pedophilia is not "curable" (but it's also not rocket science to see that a man abusing over and over and over and over again needs to be stopped, removed permanently)
--gross blindness and ignorant cluelessness as to what sexual abuse does to a child/teen
--careerism, clericalism, wrong priorities
--evil and sin
--it's not celibacy that is the problem, but a culture of secrecy brought about by a culture of absolute power and lack of accountability
--absolute power corrupts absolutely
--abuse of power is not an inevitability, it's a choice
--unbridled male chauvinistic power is insensitive to women, children and the vulnerable
--pedophiles automatically gravitate to wherever they have trusted access to children (seminaries, schools, sports teams, law enforcement, etc.)
--seminaries did not do good screening of candidates
--anyone who reported behavior was threatened (get kicked out of seminary themselves, lose a job/position)
--silence=loyalty
--silence/playing the game=perks, advancement
--it was a numbers game (to have lots of priests)
--it was keeping up appearances (bishops knew they could quash "problems," abusers knew they would never get in trouble and would always be shielded: the perfect set-up)
--it was keeping up appearances ("not on my watch")
--toward the middle of the 20th century, psychiatrists and psychologists got involved (assessments, "treatment") and kept giving the green light to put the priest back in ministry (bishops blindly "obeyed")
--it wasn't known that pedophilia is not "curable" (but it's also not rocket science to see that a man abusing over and over and over and over again needs to be stopped, removed permanently)
--gross blindness and ignorant cluelessness as to what sexual abuse does to a child/teen
--careerism, clericalism, wrong priorities
--evil and sin
SOLUTIONS?
--the clergy sex abuse problems will continue unless there is courageous breaking with mentalities, cultures, habits, patterns and cycles
--the presence of women in all (non-ordained) positions at all levels and places of Church life will help mitigate undisciplined male power (and male lack of empathy and sympathy)
--following preventative and protective protocols for child safety immediately and unilaterally
--child safety is everyone's job, not just those in positions of authority
--stringent screening/dismissals at seminary level
--thorough training in human sexuality for seminarians (including THEOLOGY OF THE BODY)
--a deep prayer life, spiritual direction in seminary
--priestly spirituality
--normal, healthy relationships with laypeople, families, women of God
--priestly fraternity, camaraderie, seminary follow-up, oversight by and relationship with bishop
--bishop accountability (Pope Francis is putting this in place)
--availability: doing ministry where needed (while maintaining healthful lifestyle, self-care and avoiding burnout)
--pouring oneself out as a spiritual father (love and zeal for the Bride [the Church] and the world) conquers loneliness
--the clergy sex abuse problems will continue unless there is courageous breaking with mentalities, cultures, habits, patterns and cycles
--the presence of women in all (non-ordained) positions at all levels and places of Church life will help mitigate undisciplined male power (and male lack of empathy and sympathy)
--following preventative and protective protocols for child safety immediately and unilaterally
--child safety is everyone's job, not just those in positions of authority
--stringent screening/dismissals at seminary level
--thorough training in human sexuality for seminarians (including THEOLOGY OF THE BODY)
--a deep prayer life, spiritual direction in seminary
--priestly spirituality
--normal, healthy relationships with laypeople, families, women of God
--priestly fraternity, camaraderie, seminary follow-up, oversight by and relationship with bishop
--bishop accountability (Pope Francis is putting this in place)
--availability: doing ministry where needed (while maintaining healthful lifestyle, self-care and avoiding burnout)
--pouring oneself out as a spiritual father (love and zeal for the Bride [the Church] and the world) conquers loneliness
MEN NEED TO BAND TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD. Positive peer pressure. And call each other out when they need calling out. So, guys? Join some good guy thing to do charitable works together, pray together or just hang out together. Live by the "10 Commandments of Chivalry" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry (except the showing no mercy to the infidel part). And always, always BAND TOGETHER FOR GOOD, NOT EVIL.
"The Long Lent of Sex Abuse Survivors and the Road to Recovery": (excellent article from a Boston woman) http://aleteia.org/2015/11/05/the-long-lent-of-sex-abuse-survivors-and-the-road-to-recovery/
A man (whose son is already a priest) who was abused by a priest as a teen and is now a candidate for the permanent diaconate has this to say:
"I would not have entered the diaconate program if I had a question about my faith at all.... My faith in the Catholic Church has never wavered one bit and never will. So I don't want this at all, ever, to be talked about as against the Catholic Church. This is to purify the men in the church by their sinful actions and their unlawful actions. It has nothing to do with the Catholic faith." --Ronald Vasek
https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/minnesota-bishop-sued-coercion-blackmail-over-sex-abuse-accusation
Sister Helena,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very helpful review - one which I will recommend to my parishioners.
Thank you for an even-handed perspective that not only informs us about an important film and story, but also models that candor in relation to problems in the church does not mean an abandonment of charity and respect for ALL persons involved.
I have felt for a long time that even if some reporters and some lawyers had less than noble motives for their pursuit of the church authorities, they have still performed a valuable service to the church and to the wider community.
Hi Father!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback. There is SO much more that I wanted to say about the actual crisis (not the film)--but I forgot to put WHAT GOOD HAS COME OUT OF THIS HORROR (awareness and new laws all over the world)... Thank you! (Gonna add it now!)
Sr. Helena <><
A fine review. And while I'm in agreement with both your diagnosis and all or most of your proposed solutions, one of the most disappointing aspects of this entire episode—which played itself out identically not just elsewhere in the United States, but throughout the entire Catholic world—has been the profound moral cowardice of those in religious life. One can count on the fingers of one hand the number of priests who placed their duty to the victims ahead of misplaced loyalty to their bishop or superior. And candidly, counting the number of nuns and religious sisters who have made this cause their own will not require many more digits. Is there a Sr Helen Prejean for rape and sexual abuse victims? If there is, I'm afraid I've never heard of her. Is there a ministry or apostolate of the Church dedicated to binding up the wounds of the legions of rape and sexual assault victims (not necessarily those whose perpetrators were in Holy Orders)? If there is, I've never heard of that one either.
ReplyDeleteWe prefer, as Catholics, to leave that task to journalists, victims' lawyers, secular rape crisis clinics, and people who have been driven to outfits like SNAP because every door in the Church has already been slammed in their faces. And as long as we are willing to do so, we have no right to complain about how any of them does their job.
Excellent point.
DeleteSister - Your claim that Cardinal Law was actually "a media favorite when he first came to Boston" is laughable.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about.
Maybe for about the first *5 minutes* that Archbishop Law was in Boston the Globe may have shown some respect, but the paper immediately continued with its virulent anti-Catholicism, including attacks on Cardinal Law.
As Phil Lawler recently wrote, up until 2002, "the Globe had been the most virulently anti-Catholic major newspaper in the country."
There is plenty of proof that the Globe's reporting was merely a culmination of its decades-long attack on the Church.
www.amazon(DOT)com/Sins-Press-Untold-Reporting-Catholic/dp/1511852593
Dave Pierre
author, 'Sins of the Press'
-
By "the media" I meant also other outlets besides the Globe, like Channel 5 TV, etc. I wholeheartedly agree with Phil Lawler that The Globe was possibly the most "virulently anti-Catholic major newspaper in the country," as I think I made clear in my review. The fact that the Globe went on to make the sex abuse scandal front page news every single day for the better part of a year (often publishing false accusations as fact, and rehashing the same stories repeatedly as new news) shows their was more at play than rightful, righteous indignation. BUT I believe the Church and the world owe The Boston Globe a debt of gratitude for exposing a terrible, terrible festering wound. Many more children would have been abused had the Church been allowed to conduct "business as usual" unhampered.
DeleteI have a lot of mixed thoughts on this. Suffice it that when I came to Boston in 1979 and became involved in the Church, the dysfunction of this Archdiocese was an obvious and horrible grief that had clearly been going on for years or decades.
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard to trust people.. You won't see me around a kid alone,, no way jose... nope,, nada,, not gonna happen,, .. I ain't giving anybody an opportunity to suspect or be suspicious,, nope nope...But i'm sure that's a golden rule these days... (don't be near a kid alone) or you suspect. Don't matter if your Mrs. Mother nice pie of the year.. Ain't that always the type you never would have expected.. Just like those priest. Who ever would suspect a Priest who knows about evil,, about purgatory about demons,, and hell,,, ...but i guess that's how clever Satan can be.. but like the movie said "it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to molest them".. Oh and just when you thought you could trust family members,, mothers ,, brothers, sisters,, and umm Grand pops.. thinks again...My friend Bev was so severly molested by her step father. Their usually number one suspect. Grand pops are probably someone in line close to that . At least that would be my case.,,I was only a little gir. . Very playful.. very happy.. he would open the basement door loud enough to get my attention as a was far into the living room.. I followed him down to the basement.. with no words spoke,, he would swirl his tongue around inside my mouth to the point i would almost suffocate.. he never said shhh,, he never said don't tell,, he never said anything,,, he propped me up on the chair ,, he sat on the corner of his desk and he would take my hand and put it in his crouch area and he would move it and down . when i stopped he start it up again..Noone ever knew.. But mothers have instinct.. So when i realized this,, that's when i started hiding stuff down my pants around my mom.. her instincts were sharp as a mothers shoud be.. but never did she suspect her own father was molesting me in the basement where he proudly did his paintings that hung all over the house and became heirlooms and all relatives had Pap paps, picture of grape and fruit... and so on... ,, it was weird to just look at one of his pictures in plain sight hanging on the wall ... but that's where he was molesting me.. down in the basement on the desk where he painted...if my mother knew she would have died.. she would have died on the spot,, she would have fell over and not been able to get up for years. year,, i think anyway....but i had to learn how to manipulate her intincts.. ... and hiding stuff in my pants..i mean it sounds so perverted but whoa,, this is true,,, i somehow gotta to go along with yeah,, i'm hiding something.. it's crazy,, i can't remember how many times it happened, i would say more than once..but i do remember one day asking my mom if it was ok if pap pap was kissing me? but she was asleep. and i was in my grandfathers house.., so i imagine i got real scared..i just told on him but my mom didn't hear me.. not what's a four or five year old gonna do..nobody knows....nobody knows...
ReplyDelete