On May 12, 1664, Molière's comedy masterpiece "The Hypocrite" premiered at a garden party at the Palace of Versailles. To this day, due to the frequent exposure of scandals involving church priests, faithful and nuns in the United States, Britain, Australia, Poland, the Netherlands, Ireland and other countries, Pope Benedict XVI of the Vatican and its subordinate churches are in a very embarrassing situation, facing An unprecedented crisis of confidence.
Religion has its role, but don't spread myths and religions, how many sins and false gods are committed. On February 27, 2004, a report published by the John Jay School of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York stated that between 1950 and 2002, 4,392 Catholic clergymen in the United States had sexually assaulted children, with a total of 10,667 victims. Most are boys. On July 14, 2007, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles reached an out-of-court settlement with more than 500 victims of sexual abuse by clergymen. The diocese will pay a record $660 million in damages to settle the scandal. The U.S. Catholic Church has so far paid more than $2 billion to victims, most of it since 2002, hundreds of priests have been excommunicated and five dioceses declared bankruptcy.
In 2005, John Patrick Stanley's play "Doubt" won the Pulitzer Prize for screenplay and four important awards representing the highest honor in Broadway plays, the Tony Award, and in 2008, "Doubt" was put on the big screen.
Compared with the exaggeration of "Hypocrite", "Doubt"'s criticism of the church hides a needle in the dark, pointing directly to the darkness of human nature; the questioning of truth and justice tugs at the heartstrings of every audience. The actors, big and small, all performed superbly, without the slightest masquerade, so that some viewers after watching the film still did not know whether the priest abused children or not. It seemed that the nun was impersonal and overly severe, while the priest was so amiable.
In fact, the film provides enough clues to show the suspiciousness of the priest: a boy who works as an altar assistant complains: "If the pants have teeth-----"
What's wrong with the pants? You can bite, but who do you want to bite?
Another boy twice showed disdain and even disgust at the priest's outstretched hand. At the end of the film, in the climax of the sparks, the nun was impatient, saying that she had done an investigation in the church where the priest worked before, causing the latter's psychological defense to completely collapse, disarm and surrender, and sadly bid farewell.
What really puzzled the nun was that she, God's faithful servant, had lied in order to reveal the truth! She did not go to the church where the priest had previously served to do research. Is it possible to do whatever it takes for a noble and just purpose? To what extent is it contrary to principle, so as not to confuse the relationship between means and ends? In fact, it is not only the nun who is puzzled, and this question has always plagued human beings.
As two veteran actors, the nun played by Meryl Streep and the priest played by Philip Seymour Hoffman are remarkable. The two just looked at each other, and the air became tense. The nun is like a rock that has been weathered by wind and waves. Under her sharp eyes, it is more difficult for the priest to cross the sea with a sermon with a virtuous appearance and a bright lotus tongue.
What is especially commendable is that Viola Davis played the mother of the victimized boy. She only appeared for a few minutes, but made the audience have to start thinking: which is more important, the pressure of survival or the dignity of life? The tears that burst from the eyes, the forbearance of shame, and the flickering words, like the endless suffering of black Africa, are shocking.
In July 2008, Pope Benedict XVI apologized for the alleged sexual abuse of children by Australian clerics. The sex scandal in the church once again proved Acton's insight: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Research by psychologists has shown that the psychological trauma and shadows caused by sexual assault in childhood cannot be completely eliminated for many people throughout their lives. The key to avoiding the tragedy is to use the system to restrict the weakness of power and human nature, and to eradicate the soil that produces hypocrites.
The sensational Broadway play "Doubt" that year caused widespread controversy. Oscar's "doubt" is: Are the judges ready for such a sensitive and sharp subject? (Originally published in Xinmin Weekly; 2 drafts in 2010)
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