This well-made French film is not shy about showing all the shame and degradation of the victim, with the sanctioned cover-up for the priest, the bishop, and the whole hierarchy of the Catholic Church in its complicity of this horrific scandal in France. Too bad the only revelations on American TV are from programs like Frontline and news stories, which really don't tell the whole story in a narrative form with its obvious outcome. The only American film I'm aware of with an allusion to sexual abuse is "Doubt" and then it's peripheral.
Despite the new Pope's apology, and Benedict's lame one, (too little too late), the Church continues to cover up priests ghastly behavior in the U.S. The problem is world-wide, and yet even here in America we get apologists for the Church, instead of shame for its behavior, and little or no attention paid to victims, who are now getting "paid" for years of secrecy and their own sad and undeserved shame.
A very well done film, and Robinson Stevenin as Gabriel sees it through to a conclusion, and demands recognition by the Church at the highest level. Finally, he gets it, but long after suffering psychological damage that will never be healed by money or apologies.
Despite the new Pope's apology, and Benedict's lame one, (too little too late), the Church continues to cover up priests ghastly behavior in the U.S. The problem is world-wide, and yet even here in America we get apologists for the Church, instead of shame for its behavior, and little or no attention paid to victims, who are now getting "paid" for years of secrecy and their own sad and undeserved shame.
A very well done film, and Robinson Stevenin as Gabriel sees it through to a conclusion, and demands recognition by the Church at the highest level. Finally, he gets it, but long after suffering psychological damage that will never be healed by money or apologies.