[USCCB] 'Compass' review gets pulled

The Washington Times ^ | Dec 11, 2007 | The Washington Times

[GratianGasparri]

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has withdrawn a positive review of the film "The Golden Compass," after more than a week of criticism about the church's apparent approval of a pro-atheism work.

The review, which had said that the film "can be viewed as an exciting adventure story with, at its core, a traditional struggle between good and evil, and a generalized rejection of authoritarianism," was not available on the USCCB.org Web site last night.

[GratianGasparri]

Ping for possible interest to Catholic list

[Alex Murphy]

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has withdrawn a positive review of the film "The Golden Compass," after more than a week of criticism about the church's apparent approval of a pro-atheism work.

Those darn anti-Catholics - always getting in the way of the Church's work!

[Blind Eye Jones]

Richard Dawkin withdrew a positive review of Bush. He said, “What in hells name was I thinking?” When asked about the surge he said, “The dark messengers said it ain’t working.”

[Running On Empty]

Thou sayest it.

[markomalley]

Money line from the article:

“Thus the USCCB review was out of touch with both the secular culture and the Catholic subculture. The bishops need to revisit how that office is run.”

[Tax-chick]

Thus the USCCB review was out of touch with both the secular culture and the Catholic subculture.

Bump that. The same might be said of the entire USCCB, with limited exceptions.

[bboop]

Yah, God.

[NYer]

Today the U.S. bishops withdrew the review of the film “The Golden Compass,” which opened in theaters in the United States Dec. 7. The review was written by Harry Forbes and John Mulderig, the director and staff reviewer respectively of the Office for Film and Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The review was released and posted on the CNS Web site Nov. 29. The USCCB gave no reason for withdrawing the review.

Since CNS is a distributor of media reviews of the OFB, it must respect the office’s withdrawal of its review. Effective Dec. 10, the review of “The Golden Compass” will not be available on the CNS Web site. It will not be included in subsequent listings of USCCB film reviews and classifications.

CNS stories about the film remain available to clients. These include:

– Author of book behind ‘Golden Compass’ criticized as anti-Christian

– Critics debate merits of ‘The Golden Compass’ movie

– Nun-critic offers media literacy guide for ‘The Golden Compass’

– “The Golden Compass” as seen in the Catholic press

Also, since our last post on the CNS News Hub, there’s also this item of interest: ‘Compass’: Challenging believers to articulate faith, values, by Sister Rose Pacatte.

[NeoCaveman]

And movie pretty much tanked.

Or at the very least pulled in seriously less money than Narnia in its first weekend.

[AnAmericanMother]

The USCCB sure as heck DOES need to revisit their movie review office . . . or just get out of the movie business.

They were embarassed before when the SAME reviewer wrote a laudatory review praising "Brokeback Mountain".

Why they didn't fire him then is a mystery. If they don't fire him NOW, well, we know where their sympathies lie.

[cthemfly25]

Agree with you 100%. The USCCB is a playpen for lefty apparatchiks from their domestic policy adviser to their cultural affairs staff. Disgraceful.

[livius]

Thank you! Very interesting indeed - and good news!

Imagine there’s no USCCB...Imaaagiiine...

[Tax-chick]

They think that acting as if Catholic faith and morals are irrelevant to films makes them cool.

[Jaded]

Really.

One of my confirmation kids saw this movie last weekend. We had an enormous debate about it. He claimed there was nothing anti-God in the movie and people were just making it up. He also said that Bishops approved of the movie. I ended up on an anti-Mahoney tear.... that I wouldn’t put much stock in what apostate bishops had to say... This young man was looking for sub-titles that were anti-God in the movie, any thing less was dismissed. And there lies the real danger.

I ended his tirade by saying I was waiting to hear from someone else who was seeing it who would be, perhaps, a bit less biased .

[AnAmericanMother]

THAT is how the Episcopalians got into trouble.

Trying to act cool and with-it and "in the spirit of the times" . . . in order to win praise from the news media, the cocktail circuit, and the politicians.

And now the ECUSA is bleeding membership and becoming a complete irrelevance along the lines of the Metropolitan Community Church . . . I don't think that's where the USCCB really wants to go.

[AnAmericanMother]

If I were you, I would write the USCCB with a first-hand account of how their desire to be trendy and cool has jeopardized the immortal soul of a young man.

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

[Tax-chick]

Given that this particular movie is not (as a stand-alone piece) especially “anti-God,” that might not have been the most persuasive approach! It does demonstrate the danger of the Bishops’ not taking a comprehensive approach to the source material.

[Tax-chick]

The biggest taboo, of course, is that they can’t bear to say that sexual immorality, particularly homosexuality, is immoral. However, secularists such as the USCCB’s movie reviews also seem to have a profound hostility toward religious authority. (Probably because said authority defines some of their favorite activities as immoral ...)

[marshmallow]

Do I see a light at the end of the tunnel here? A new springtime, maybe?

What's remarkable here is not the crappy film review. That's almost expected. Rather, it's that the bishops are apparently sensitive to the Catholic hoi polloi. In times past, they'd have simply shrugged off the cries of the great unwashed. Now, however, there appear to be actual signs of understanding and attentiveness on their part.

Could it be that the scandals have brought about some real change and produced humility?