Out to prove that the Catholic Church is only slightly less arcane that Islamic fundamentalists or Southern Baptists, the Vatican has slammed into the New Moon film, calling it, and the series, a “Deviant moral vacuum.” One could employ the old adage about the ‘pot calling the kettle black,’ eh?
“This theme of vampires in Twilight combines a mixture of excesses that as ever is aimed at young people and gives a heavy esoteric element.” Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, of the Pontifical Council of Culture, stated.
“Men and women are transformed with horrible masks and it is once again that age old trick or ideal formula of using extremes to make an impact at the box office.” He continued, adding “This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum and as such is something that should be of concern.”
Well, Monsignor, I beg to differ. Remember, this is the same Vatican that just a few weeks ago went after Halloween with a vengeance, and that in the past slammed little Harry Potter. Four months ago they backed off the anti-Harry bandwagon, saying the latest film “distinguished between good and evil.”
I suppose even the Vatican had to give in to the success of Harry Potter. Galileo would have been pleased to receive such a quick turnaround, I’m sure. Four centuries or four months – guess Hollywood has pull, eh?
The Catholic Church – and other Christian fundamentalists, and Islamic fundamentalists, and Jewish, Hindi, etc – need to be relegated to mere commentary as opposed to having any real pull or influence on culture. It’s redundant for them to continually draw lines in the sand, only to have them, eventually, washed away.
Vatican leaders may be sore they can’t hold an Inquisition, head to the little town of Forks, Washington, and burn at the stake anyone overly dressed in black. Ah, the good old days, eh?
When the Vatican calls New Moon and Twilight “Deviant moral vacuum” they might do well to take note of the huge following the saga has captured. Are they sure they want to once again come down on the side of fuddy-duddy codgers badgering the young folk for their heresy?
New Moon opened on Wednesday in Italy, to big numbers. It opened early Friday (or late Thursday, Midnight shows) in selected theaters in the United States. Box office is projected to be huge, regardless of what the Vatican has to say.
The wolf transformations I’ve seen in the previews definitely have me intrigued, although I am an old school fan of “American Werewolf in London,” I expect to be impressed.
Source
