The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, has praised the 2016 best picture Oscar victor Spotlight for its convincing attempt to show abuse and cover-ups in the Catholic church.
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The film “manages to voice the shock and profound pain of the faithful confronting the discovery of these horrendous realities”, wrote the publication’s Lucetta Scaraffia in an editorial Monday.
Spotlight, which chronicles The Boston Globe’s investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and institutional efforts to cover up the crimes, landed the Oscar for best picture Sunday – a surprise win. Pedophilia does not necessarily arise from the vow of chastity.
She said she thinks it’s “wonderful” that “Spotlight” won the best picture award.
“It’s by now clear that in the Church too many were anxious about the image of the institution and not the gravity of the act”.
The newspaper did bemoan screenwriter Josh Singer’s failure to mention Pope Benedict XVI’s “long and tenacious battle” against paedophile priests, but acknowledged that there was not enough time to explore every detail of the scandal. According to the official Oscars website, Spotlight’s synopsis is as follows.
“But “Revenant” star Leonard DiCaprio did win best actor”.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” nabbed the most awards of the night.
“But when the last award of the evening was read, it was the little film about Boston Globe investigative reporters digging into a sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests that was left standing”.
The producers said while accepting the trophy, “This film gave a voice to survivors and this Oscar amplifies that voice which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican”. The movie also won best original screenplay.
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A second article, a news roundup of the Oscars, said the film had “the courage to denounce cases that must be condemned without any hesitation”. Open Road is one of the “great independent studios” championing films like “Spotlight, ” he said.
