"Silence" = the antithesis of "A Man for All Seasons"

Rorate Caeli ^ | 11/30/26 | Kenneth J. Wolfe

[ebb tide]

In 1966 the movie "A Man for All Seasons" was released in the U.S., the same year Japanese author Shūsaku Endō wrote the historical fiction novel "Silence".

Last night, the Vatican hosted the world premiere of the movie version of "Silence," which will be released next month. Shown at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, administered by the Jesuits, approximately 400 priests and others attended. Rorate's invitation to the screening may have been lost in the mail, so we have not seen the movie. But based on the novel, the endings for the two 1966 works could not be more opposite. One concludes with heroism and martyrdom, the other with indifference and apostasy.

The adaption of "Silence" for the big screen was done by Mr. Martin Scorsese, a former seminarian (Cathedral College minor seminary in New York) who is now a self-proclaimed "lapsed Catholic." One may remember his scandalous and sacrilegious 1988 movie, "The Last Temptation of Christ."

To make "Silence," Scorsese chose James Martin, S.J., as a consultant for the movie. You will notice we chose not to offer hyperlinks for "The Last Temptation of Christ" or Father Martin, S.J., as none are needed as we try to prepare ye the way of the Lord this Advent.

Before last night's Vatican screening, Scorsese and Mexican producer Gaston Pavlovich met with Pope Francis. According to a Variety reporter in attendance: "The private papal audience, held in the Apostolic Palace, was announced by the Vatican press office Tuesday in a clear show of support for 'Silence,' Scorsese’s passion project." Now, perhaps the ending to the movie "Silence" is completely different from the ending to the novel "Silence." We sure hope so. If not, the world will soon witness a $50 million renouncement of the Catholic Church by members of the Society of Jesus, as tacitly endorsed by the current (Jesuit) pope. The novel, which was absolutely terrific up until the end, has a clear message to leave with readers -- the opposite of Saint Thomas More's example to England and the world.

Apostasy should not be celebrated by the Vatican. These Jesuits are men for no seasons.

[utahagen]

Um...I appreciate the author’s desire not to be a spoiler, but how did the novel SILENCE end? Without knowing that, how the devil did is this article supposed to make sense to the reader?

[heterosupremacist]

“The private papal audience, held in the Apostolic Palace, was announced by the Vatican press office Tuesday in a clear show of support for ‘Silence,’ Scorsese’s passion project.”

“... a clear show of support? ... I wonder if that is mere speculation by the author?

If they actually DO support Scorsese’s project, - Kyrie Eleison!

[Bigg Red]

That the pope would even speak with the person who made “The Last Temptation of Christ” speaks volumes. Prayers up for Holy Mother Church.

[irishjuggler]

Big fan of Rorate Caeli, and obviously I haven’t seen the film yet... but I have read the novel... and I’m not sure that Rorate’s preemptive attack is quite fair. “A Man for All Seasons” is a fact-based novel based on a real person. St Thomas More was a real person. “Silence” is in the realm of historical fiction. The characters aren’t real people but merely serve dramatize historical events. It surprises many people to learn that Japan once had a fairly large Catholic population. How did it lose that population? The main reason was persecution. But another element was apostasy on the part of the clergy. That’s the basis of the novel. I don’t believe that the novel promotes or justifies apostasy, but merely acknowledges the sad reality of it.

[Bigg Red]

I agree with you. So I looked up a description of the novel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_(novel)

[Calif Conservative]

Try this link - much better than Wiki - which leaves out a crucial post-trampling series of events

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2014/07/14/the-sinister-theology-of-endos-silence/

[ebb tide]

Thanks for the link!

Good article.

[IronJack]

For what it's worth, the po-mo deconstructionists have stained Sir Thomas More's legacy as well as many others'. According to the PC convention, More was a bully and a sadist who casually ordered the murder of "heretics," many of whom were people with whom he simply disagreed or who threatened his position as Lord Chancellor.

The fact is, he defied Henry VIII's demand that he recognize the King as supreme head of the Church, and that courageous stance cost him his head.

I prefer the hero Thomas More, the "Man for All Seasons."

[Verginius Rufus]

Cardinal Wolsey and Richard Rich would have voted for Hillary in this year’s election. Maybe they did.

[LadyDoc]

Endo has several novels on the persecution of Christians in Japan.

In Silence, the priest steps on the image of Christ, not because he is afraid of martyrdom, but because his torturers said they would stop torturing the other Christians if he did this.

In Endo’s novel, Christ's voice actually tells the priest to do this. but of course the priest is so shamed at his deed he stops being a priest out of guilt.

On of the themes of most of Endo’s books is the mercy of God for sinners and the poor, in contrast to the local culture that despises the lower classes and the weak.

Personally I prefer the companion book to Silence, a book called The Samurai, about a fairly poor Samurai who travels with a diplomatic mission to Europe, and agrees to be baptized out of politeness... he comes back and is shunned since the mission was a failure. But he realizes that Jesus is still with him, and loves him despite his failure..and the post script says he dies a martyr.