'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 12/4/2006 | John-Henry Westen

[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/

[annalex]

Please. I'll type slowly.

A prayer to a saint is a request for his intercession to the sole mediator Christ. 1 Timothy 2:1.

I am Catholic. I never ignore the Holy Scripture, and consider ignorance of it a great sin. Do not think that you post anything the Church, and I personally, never read or reflected upon.

[kawaii]

I'm not sure I'd have a problem with it had it been articulated IN a council...

Seems somebody was just a little wary of teamwork. ;p

Either way at least we've got the teamwork thing building steadily now.

[P-Marlowe]

"Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost".

Where do you get "Do Pennance" from metanoeō ?

[Kolokotronis]

"But I understand that you are looking for patristics."

Indeed I am as I have yet to find any indication in the East that Baptism does something other than bring us into The Church, forgive our sins and make us "new" in Christ and when they say these things they seem to be presuming that since the Resurrection, membership in The Church is the sine qua non of theosis and it is within The Church that our restored potential for theosis must be pursued. Of course they don't speak of Original Sin, but I didn't expect them to. They do teach that through baptism we die with Christ and our descent into the water is a type of His descent to hades and our rising up out of the water like His Resurrection and thus we are thereby purified of our sins to that point. I think Orthodoxy would say that it is the Sacrifice on the Cross, the descent to the dead and the Resurrection which took care of any "spiritual death" effects steming solely from the Sin of Adam.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

A prayer to a saint is a request for his intercession to the sole mediator Christ.

Going to the "one ('sole') mediator" via "another mediator/intercessor/middle man" contradicts and ultimately negates Scripture.

[Forest Keeper]

Let's see what Trent had to say, and then read what Scripture has to say...

Amen, Dr. E.! Outstanding post.

[samiam1972]

"Samiam mentions that if Mary didn't sin she wouldn't need saving. That's not true."

That's not what I said. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I meant that Mary was saved from Original Sin before birth. God did this for her. It wasn't anything she did for herself. Is that better?

[annalex]

not sure I'd have a problem with it had it been articulated IN a council

If the dual procession of the Holy Spirit meant negating the monarchy of the Father in the Eternal Trinity, I. along a lot of Catholics, would have a problem with it, but it was not understood that way. It merely means that the Holy Spirit comes from a mutual desire of the Father and the Son to advocate for us and live in us, as is reflected in the "receive ye the Holy Ghost" verse. Yes, the breach of conciliarity was our error, -- but apparently the West always viewed the Creed more like a teaching tool than a self-contained expression of the faith.

[monkfan]

"Why does the Bible forbid necromancy? Saul was condemned for visiting the witch of Endor to speak with Samuel. Samuel was certainly an Old Testament saint but was Saul was not supposed to try to communicate with him."

Old Testament saints were not yet resurrected. Jesus was the first to be resurrected. After that, others were raised. But not before. Does your church not teach this?

[samiam1972]

"And Catholics worship Mary and pray to statutes."

You have got to be kidding me! How many times does it have to be explained? We are not that stupid and I am offended by your insult.

We DO NOT pray to statues. Say you have a loved one over in Iraq and you miss him/her terribly. You're sitting around thinking about that person and pull out photographs to look at. You may say aloud, "I miss you. I sure wish you were home with us now." Do you think that person IS the picture? No. It is just a reminder. It may help you focus on that person and bring happy thoughts to the surface. That is why we have statues of saints, etc. We do not think that the statues have any special power.

We DO NOT worship Mary. We ask for her intercessory prayers. We do not believe that those in heaven are dead. We have different interpretations of Scripture in the Church. Just because you don't get it does not give you the right to continue to spread false lies about us.

[annalex]

Literally, metanoesate is "reform yourself" or even "reform your mind", but that is also the meaning of "repent". Is your objection to how "repent" became "do penance" or would you prefer something like "reform"? I will assume the former, as King James has "repent".

You are astute to notice, because indeed "do penance" (corresponding to St. Jerome's "penitentia agite") suggests doing something, while "repent" suggests thinking something, but not necessarily doing anything as the outcome of the thinking. This therefore goes to the heart of our chief difference: we think that faith is something that we do; you think that faith is something that you think.

The expression, metanoete. comes from St. John the Baptist. And this is what we notice about St. John the Baptist: he was a doer. He gave an example of metanoia. What was that example? One followed by Christian monks everywhere: solitude; fast, hair shirt. He most certainly was doing penance rather than sitting in his office wispering to himself, "I think I am going to change my mind..."

[P-Marlowe]

We are not that stupid and I am offended by your insult.

I was responding to another insult directed at some very fine Protestant theologians. When it was discovered that the offeding poster did not claim to be a "Catholic" I withdrew my invective.

Read the thread back and forward to see what transpired.

Thanks,

Marlowe

[Blogger]

Yes. My church teaches this. But the Old Testament Saints were not taking a dirt nap. Their souls live on New Testament saints are are not resurrected either, by the way. They have not received glorified bodies yet. That will happen at the Lord's return.

[annalex]

it is the Sacrifice on the Cross, the descent to the dead and the Resurrection which took care of any "spiritual death" effects steming solely from the Sin of Adam.

Indeed. This is why our (Christian) baptism is different from the baptism of St. John: it is an icon of the death and resurrection of Christ. But this is also why it is onto remittance of all sin, including that elusive "spiritual death effects" that dare not speak their name...

[annalex]

contradicts and ultimately negates Scripture

If so, kindly cite it, because 1 Timothy 2 surely is not contradicted as that speaks of intercessory prayer in the same breath in which it proclames the sole mediatorship of Christ.

[Kolokotronis]

Great Icon!

By the way, the word is "μετανοησατε", plural and it implies that the listeners will DO SOMETHING to accomplish a reformation, or better said a transformation, of their minds.

[Kolokotronis]

"But this is also why it is onto remittance of all sin, including that elusive "spiritual death effects" that dare not speak their name..."

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

[samiam1972]

I apologize for the comment. Am I to assume that you know we do not worship Mary or pray to statues then?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I can understand your not actually quoting 1 Timothy 2 because it in no way says what you'd like it to say.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." -- 1 Timothy 2:1-2

That is Paul telling us to pray that men to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and reminding us to give thanks always for God's grace.

It does not say to pray to anyone but the Triune God of creation.

"Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?"

[monkfan]

"Yes. My church teaches this. But the Old Testament Saints were not taking a dirt nap. Their souls live on"

Hold that thought...

"New Testament saints are are not resurrected either, by the way. They have not received glorified bodies yet. That will happen at the Lord's return."

Ok, that's fair. I got sloppy with the language. My apologies.

But I'm confused by your first statement. When you say "not taking a dirt nap"/"their souls live on", what does that entail? I'm not trying to set you up for a gotcha later, I'm just trying to understand what you believe dead people were up to (or not) prior to the resurrection of Christ. Along with this, I would ask you what you believe the difference is between dying in the OT days and dying in the NT days. The impression I am getting so far is that you really don't see a difference. Is that right?