For those that watched the movie: the confessor

[A New Day]

If you were in the place of Christian Slater a priest that went against the church when he felt that he had a cause to do it, would you do the same thing?

 

[catholicbybirth]

If you were in the place of Christian Slater a priest that went against the church when he felt that he had a cause to do it, would you do the same thing?

I've never seen the movie. I do know that if I feel I have a cause to go against the Catholic Church that feeling would eventually go away. That is because I am not more knowledgeable than all of the great Saints of the past or even the present day Saints in the making.

Because people felt that they had to go against the Church in the past, that is why we have now a very splintered Christianity in the world today.

Janice

 

[Colin]

If you were in the place of Christian Slater a priest that went against the church when he felt that he had a cause to do it, would you do the same thing?

" a priest that went against the church " .

It depends what you mean by "the church" .

The priest and all its members are the Church .

 

[Rhamiel]

what happened in the movie?

 

[A New Day]

I am sorry I thought that it is a known movie, the priest Christian Slater was disobedient in the movie to the instructions of the bishops when they told him to leave investigating the murder, so they told him that he is no longer a priest and they fired him. he continued investigating and the case was solved then he went back to his duty.

What do you think?

 

[Rhamiel]

I guess I would have to watch the movie
like it seems kind of weird for a priest to investigate a murder
I mean it is cool that he solved the murder but that a priest could solve a murder when the police can not seems odd
like a priest should do everything he can to aid the police in their investigation

also, I am not sure if that is the kind of thing that a priest can be fired for
priests are called to be obediant to the Bishop
but it is also very hard to have a priest defrocked or "fired"

 

[Colin]

it seems kind of weird for a priest to investigate a murder

Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton .

 

[Michie]

I've never seen it.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Didnt see the movie but my answer would be - using 'prudence' means more than 'being right' because prayer opens doors to change things if the prelates do not.
In good time the Church is always put back on track in spite of sinners who are on earth who run it.

The teachings dont change - so going outside the Church is a bad idea. Change can only occur within - even if it is slow paced - think of the Arian controversy - 40 long years - it took to weed it out.


Trusting God means trusting the Church - always.
The gates of hell shall not prevail - means the gates of hell shall not prevail.
Hell might pound on the doors, find cracks - but prevail - No!

Obedience in spite of hardships is trusting God. When the road looks long and the darkness seems to cast shadows - it means the Light is still there even if we dont see it.

These kind of Hollyweird dramas are going to exist to cast aspirations on the Church - just another way the gates of hell is trying to look like it prevails.

 

[A New Day]

The story was a bit complicated, there was another priest first that was accused of a murder because he was with the murdered person in the crime scene and because of the Seal of confession the good priest did not disclose why he was at the crime scene to the police, rather he called after any priest in case he could help him or understand him and the priest was Christian Slater. Later the other priest was said that he killed himself in the prison and the bishops had a small statement about the case and that was it but Christian Slater wanted to investigate because he did not believe that the priest was innocent and the bishops ordered him to go to serve in another town but he refused and they fired him so he was no longer priest, Christian Slater continued the investigation with the help of a reporter and they uncovered the truth about the real murderer and he returned to his duty as a priest.

So what do you think about what Christian Slater did:
do you go against direct orders from who run the church if you believe that you are called for a righteous case even if the results are not guaranteed?

And what do you think about the priest that was accused of the murder? should the priest betray a confessor and violate the sacred sacramental seal of confession to save himself?

 

[Rhamiel]

The story was a bit complicated, there was another priest first that was accused of a murder because he was with the murdered person in the crime scene and because of the Seal of confession the good priest did not disclose why he was at the crime scene to the police, rather he called after any priest in case he could help him or understand him and the priest was Christian Slater. Later the other priest was said that he killed himself in the prison and the bishops had a small statement about the case and that was it but Christian Slater wanted to investigate because he did not believe that the priest was innocent and the bishops ordered him to go to serve in another town but he refused and they fired him so he was no longer priest, Christian Slater continued the investigation with the help of a reporter and they uncovered the truth about the real murderer and he returned to his duty as a priest.

So what do you think about what Christian Slater did:
do you go against direct orders from who run the church if you believe that you are called for a righteous case even if the results are not guaranteed?

And what do you think about the priest that was accused of the murder? should the priest betray a confessor and violate the sacred sacramental seal of confession to save himself?

In real life many priests have died because they would not break the seal of Confession
St.John of Nepomuk choose to be drowned rather then betray that trust.
John of Nepomuk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

If Christopher Nolan directed the movie, Hans Zimmer did the soundtrack, and Christian Bale was in it, I'll give it a whirl!

 

[WarriorAngel]

The story was a bit complicated, there was another priest first that was accused of a murder because he was with the murdered person in the crime scene and because of the Seal of confession the good priest did not disclose why he was at the crime scene to the police, rather he called after any priest in case he could help him or understand him and the priest was Christian Slater. Later the other priest was said that he killed himself in the prison and the bishops had a small statement about the case and that was it but Christian Slater wanted to investigate because he did not believe that the priest was innocent and the bishops ordered him to go to serve in another town but he refused and they fired him so he was no longer priest, Christian Slater continued the investigation with the help of a reporter and they uncovered the truth about the real murderer and he returned to his duty as a priest.

So what do you think about what Christian Slater did:
do you go against direct orders from who run the church if you believe that you are called for a righteous case even if the results are not guaranteed?

And what do you think about the priest that was accused of the murder? should the priest betray a confessor and violate the sacred sacramental seal of confession to save himself?

It was a long shot - and he disobeyed.
Hollyweird as i said - creates this because it causes confusion.
I doubt something would happen like that... for one thing.
Secondly, no you cannot break the seal of confession.

 

[A New Day]

In real life many priests have died because they would not break the seal of Confession
St.John of Nepomuk choose to be drowned rather then betray that trust.
John of Nepomuk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

wow he did not break the seal of the confession, I see another martyr Father Ivars who was executed in 1936 Martyred Spanish priest who died protecting seal of confession to be named "Blessed" :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

 

[A New Day]

It was a long shot - and he disobeyed.
Hollyweird as i said - creates this because it causes confusion.
I doubt something would happen like that... for one thing.
Secondly, no you cannot break the seal of confession.

I think that since God can work in anyone so God can work in a priest too especially when there are sinners who are on earth who run the church as you said, so for me if I say that a priest cannot be called for a righteous case against the will of a bishop then it is as if I place the order of the bishop/bishops above God because I may be eliminating the idea that God may also have a different opinion than the bishop when the bishop may be in an error.

So that is not the problem, the problem is not if God can use someone or not since it may happen, but the problem was that if it happens that God calls a priest for a righteous case that is against direct orders from a bishop, what should the priest do when he has such a conflict between an order from a bishop/bishops that may be wrong and between what he feels that is a righteous case?

That is difficult a difficult question I think.