Posted on 12/04/2006 7:52:47 PM PST by Pyro7480
'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children
By John-Henry Westen
NEW YORK, December 4, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A review of New Line Cinema's The Nativity story by Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in the United States, points out that the film, which opened December 1, misinterprets scripture from a Catholic perspective.
While Fr. Geiger admits that he found the film is "in general, to be a pious and reverential presentation of the Christmas mystery." He adds however, that "not only does the movie get the Virgin Birth wrong, it thoroughly Protestantizes its portrayal of Our Lady."
In Isaiah 7:14 the Bible predicts the coming of the Messiah saying: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." Fr. Geiger, in an video blog post, explains that the Catholic Church has taught for over 2000 years that the referenced Scripture showed that Mary would not only conceive the child miraculously, but would give birth to the child miraculously - keeping her physical virginity intact during the birth.
The film, he suggests, in portraying a natural, painful birth of Christ, thus denies the truth of the virginal and miraculous birth of Christ, which, he notes, the Fathers of the Church compared to light passing through glass without breaking it. Fr. Geiger quoted the fourth century St. Augustine on the matter saying. "That same power which brought the body of the young man through closed doors, brought the body of the infant forth from the inviolate womb of the mother."
Fr. Geiger contrasts The Nativity Story with The Passion of the Christ, noting that with the latter, Catholics and Protestants could agree to support it. He suggests, however, that the latter is "a virtual coup against Catholic Mariology".
The characterization of Mary further debases her as Fr. Geiger relates in his review. "Mary in The Nativity lacks depth and stature, and becomes the subject of a treatment on teenage psychology."
Beyond the non-miraculous birth, the biggest let-down for Catholics comes from Director Catherine Hardwicke's own words. Hardwicke explains her rationale in an interview: "We wanted her [Mary] to feel accessible to a young teenager, so she wouldn't seem so far away from their life that it had no meaning for them. I wanted them to see Mary as a girl, as a teenager at first, not perfectly pious from the very first moment. So you see Mary going through stuff with her parents where they say, 'You're going to marry this guy, and these are the rules you have to follow.' Her father is telling her that she's not to have sex with Joseph for a year-and Joseph is standing right there."
Comments Fr. Geiger, "it is rather disconcerting to see Our Blessed Mother portrayed with 'attitude;' asserting herself in a rather anachronistic rebellion against an arranged marriage, choosing her words carefully with her parents, and posing meaningful silences toward those who do not understand her."
Fr. Geiger adds that the film also contains "an overly graphic scene of St. Elizabeth giving birth," which is "just not suitable, in my opinion, for young children to view."
Despite its flaws Fr. Geiger, after viewing the film, also has some good things to say about it. "Today, one must commend any sincere attempt to put Christ back into Christmas, and this film is certainly one of them," he says. "The Nativity Story in no way compares to the masterpiece which is The Passion of the Christ, but it is at least sincere, untainted by cynicism, and a worthy effort by Hollywood to end the prejudice against Christianity in the public square."
And, in addition to a good portrait of St. Joseph, the film offers "at least one cinematic and spiritual triumph" in portraying the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth. "Although the Magnificat is relegated to a kind of epilogue at the movie's end, the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is otherwise faithful to the scriptures and quite poignant. In a separate scene, the two women experience the concurrent movement of their children in utero and share deeply in each other's joy. I can't think of another piece of celluloid that illustrates the dignity of the unborn child better than this."
See Fr. Geiger's full review here:
http://airmaria.com/
"Including Jerome? :>)"
Well he did say the word could be translated "Cousins". But remember, +Jerome was something of a Latin stooge, though he did have a falling out with the Latins towards the end of his life...and he wasn't a native Greek speaker! :)
Latin stooge? Is that any way to talk about a saint?
"Latin stooge? Is that any way to talk about a saint?"
There's another thing you guys don't understand about us Greeks. We simply are not very nice people! That's why God gave us The Church first among the Gentiles. We needed it more then and we still do. We've learned a lot, but we still remind our bishops that the floor of hell is paved with their brothers' skulls. See, not very nice fellows at all, great sinners! :)
Oh, I know! ;-) A good friend of mine is half-Greek, half Cuban. She can be brutal.
"Oh, I know! ;-) A good friend of mine is half-Greek, half Cuban. She can be brutal."
Excellent combo! I'll bet she's a beauty; my half Cuban cousins sure are! You should marry her, become Orthodox and THEN become a priest! :)
LOL! She is a beauty. However, she has been corrupted by feminism. She majored in psychology and women's studies at the university we attended. She is really a practicing Orthodox. She was dabbling in neo-paganism last time I talked to her. Pray for her.
The answer for 1216 is the best most concise answer I have seen. The Catholic church uses these icons to build your love for Father God. By thinking of the saints and other icons you enrich your worship and build your relationship with the Father.
I must ask you, echoing Kolokotronis, if this Byzantine document is not Latinized.
The only reference to "immaculate conception" I could find was the "9th ode the Irmos" of the first week of Great Lent. I was unable to find the actual ode itself, but I am willing to bet that the term "immaculate conception" here refers to the Annunciation, and not Mary's own conception by her parents.
Perhaps Agrarian can shed some light on this, thanks extended in advance.
1216?
Ignorance is bliss.
How does that make "evidence seems to be on the Protestant side?"
Find me one reference that says all those "brothers" and "sistsers' were Mary's children. Just one.
Q. 1216. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints? A. We pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their virtues.
The Baltimore Catechism is also available online:
http://www.catholic.net/baltimore_catechism/template_channel.phtml?channel_id=14
Whoops! My link went to nowhere. Here are other Baltimore Catechism online links:
http://www.truecatholic.org/baltcont.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/balt/index.htm
http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/baltimore/bindex.htm
The apocraphyl "gospels" of our Lord's youth portray a vengeful, spoiled demigod. The Gospel of John, however, tells us that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (read the rest of that verse, and an argument could be made for your position!) However, nothing about the infancy, boyhood, or youth of Jesus struck His neighbors as strange, queer, eccentric, off-center in any way. To all appearances, he was a perfectly normal Jewish man of his generation, until John's baptism.
Don't look now, but your gnosticism is showing, if, in your thinking, "sinless" = "sexless."
Augustine's opinion is not dogma. That was the work of a Latin synod(The Council of Carthage, which dealt with the issue of grace in a slightly different manner. To be sure, Augustine's view largely prevailed, until the time of Aquinas, but thereafter the semi-Pelagian view--which is closer to the Eastern view, and whose prime champion earlier was St. John Cassian--was the doctrine that Luther and Calvin encountered and rejected. As for the Immaculate Conception, it only stresses the superabundance of the graces given to Mary. If we think of Mary as the second eve, then what we have is a person whose will is not overpowered so that she cannot sin , but who chooses, despite the temptations of the world, to remain true. East and West the Church has always taught how the flesh has been corrupted through the sin of Adam. That grace given to Mary at her origin has removed that corruption and so strengthened she is able to do the will of God. Thus wehn the angel comes to her she is able to give her consent totally, the accept this mission with all its dangers and suffering, as pray God, we must be able to "now and at the hour of our death." How do we say, "Yes," to Jesus? Ask Mary. She is the first Christian.
I will ask again, kosta, just so things are clear.
If I wanted to use a koine Greek word for YOUR BROTHER, what word would I use?
The rest of your post are failked protestant attempts to explain away the obviosu meaning of mat 16:18,19.
William Hendriksen, Prof N T Lit. Calvin Seminary, Gerhard Maier, conservative Lutheran Scholar,Donald a Carlson Baptist, Prof at Trinity Evangelicval Seminary, among many other prots, acknowledge Peter ws the rock upon whom Jesus built the chutch.
So, we have all Catholics in agreement as to the meaning of that verse while prots are divided among themselves.
It is always the same no matter what the controversy :)
The rest of your post are failked protestant attempts to explain away the obviosu meaning of mat 16:18,19.
William Hendriksen, Prof N T Lit. Calvin Seminary, Gerhard Maier, conservative Lutheran Scholar,Donald a Carlson Baptist, Prof at Trinity Evangelicval Seminary, among many other prots, acknowledge Peter ws the rock upon whom Jesus built the chutch.
So, we have all Catholics in agreement as to the meaning of that verse while prots are divided among themselves.
It is always the same no matter what the controversy :)
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