Hollywood elites cheer rapist Roman Polanski (c) at the 2003 Academy Awards
[Editor's note: Mega-kudos to Fr. Robert Sirico, who brought this episode to our attention and to the public's attention through the popular celebrity web site TMZ.]
As Hollywood has fawned over the dishonest Spotlight film by awarding it this year's Best Picture prize at the Oscars, a little perspective may be in order.
Some thirteen years ago, on Sunday night, March 23, 2003 – as the Boston Globe was in its fifteenth straight month of reporting on sex abuse in the Catholic Church – Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded an Oscar for Best Director to Roman Polanski for his work on a film called The Pianist.
In case you forgot, it was Polanski who fled to Europe 11 months after being charged with plying a 13-year-old girl with booze and drugs and then forcibly performing various sex acts on her.
Of course, Hollywood, the Boston Globe, and the rest of the media never want the public to forget about the abuse committed many decades ago by Catholic priests. However, when it comes to one of their own, Hollywood gives a child rapist its most coveted prize and then a thundering standing ovation. If you are a big shot Hollywood director, it is apparently "forgive and forget."
Enough said.
Since Roman Pulaski is a child-raping monster. We should keep quiet abot the thosands of Catholic priests, who are also child-raping monsters.
I think you missed the point of the post
Polanski not Pulaski. And Trew I think you are missing True Catholic's point.
"TrueCatholic" on the 8th, would be laughable, if this wasn't so serious. He does not consider for a moment that Hollywood might be turning a blind eye to sexual exploitation. This is just one case we know about…. there would certainly be others we don't know of.
Consider the comment of Whoopee Goldberg on T.V……"but it was not really rape rape". Gee…so what would be real rape?.
This was somebody's 13 year old daughter, drugged and sodomized, by a pedophile, who promised he would help her acting ambitions. And he was convicted, by a mountain of evidence. Then he fled,,,,to avoid prison.
Now, after watching the video, of the Hollywood crowd loudly applauding this same creep, am beginning to understand that Whoopee was not alone. She was speaking for many. What does that tell us about the culture in Hollywood?
It tells me that Mel Gibson was right when he said… "Hollywood is like a big dark forest, in which packs of wolves roam freely".
No Trew, true catholic is calling it right. Once again TMR pointing out the wrong-doings of others to minimize the crimes of their clergy. TMR living in that proverbial glass house should be careful when they throw stones.
Absolutely correct, Dennis! imo.
I love how the Catholic League, and TMR attack Pulaski, as they should. But defend child raping priests, and their enablers. They attack District Attorneys, Victims Groups, and the Media. It's called "Hypocrocy".
No, neither ‘Dennis’ nor ‘true catholic’ has it right.
There is no effort evident in this TMR post that would justify Ecker’s claim that TMR is trying to “minimize” anything. (If there were such evidence, then he could have put it up with an accurate quotation … but that’s not his style, which runs more to manipulative spin and insinuation.)
Further evidence of people's ability to keep two sets of books.
every post here with the exception of Publion is from persons who have little going on in the brains department. Minimise schminimise my foot. Just putting the 'spotlight' on the problem in it's totality. Some people seem bothered when it's not just the Holy Catholic Church being exposed. Why is that? I think we all know the answer……
The church is neither holy nor catholic. It is a refuge for child rapists and their enablers. It refuses help to the people it oppresses. It is a fraud.
Welcome to Fantasy Island!
You mean the alcoholic anti Gay; anti Jew, people hater Mel Gibson?
Got any "appropriate" Hitler; Mussolini; Franco quotes you can throw in here Malcolm?
Most of what you write is true. The distinct advantage a catholic priest, brother or Jesuit has
is that he can change his name and move around, therefore, always be under the radar.
Do you think it would be helpful for community police departments to require all catholic
organizations to submit sevearl photos of each catholic priest, brother or Jesuit?
Should every local police department have the advantage of possessing these photographs,
so they can quickly recognize a pedophiile incognito?
Also, if/when these victims are shared with brutal organized crime members; the police
department will understand exactly which individuals are participating in the pedophile sex
trade. In other words, if a pedophile priest knowlingly refers any child or adult to an evil
murderous individual or group: should he get off Scott Free?
Odd that the same right wing Catholicism supported by Mel Gibson and his family (Tridentine mass; etc.) just happens to be the Catholicism shared by Terry McKiernan, the head of Bishop Accountability. How can that be???????? If SNAP and BA are supposed to be a Lefty attack on holy mother church? More "miracles" I suppose.
It's so unfair. How they give that child-raping, monster, Roman Pulaski, a toatal pass. But they are constantly attacking our thousands of child-raping priests. And our lieing fugative cardinals, like Cardinal Pell, from Australia. Who get shielded by the Pope. In the Vatican, with Diplomatic Immunity. I feel so sorry, for all our poor child-raping priests.
I think most of the commentators are missing the point. It is hypocrital of the academy to give the oscar for best picture to a movie about pedophile priests while celebrating the likes of Roman Polinski.
The Oscars celebrate and award Hollywood's theatrical talent, not applauding their moral attributes. If anything is "hypocritical", it would be the church of some of the world's biggest hypocrits, pointing their finger at secular hypocrisy. IMHO
Notice how P never corrects the spelling of the posters on his side. He must love, like Trump, "the poorly educated"
Very uneducated comment section for the most part. I feel like there is so much hate behind most of these comments that it is blinding. This article doesn't defend priests who have abused people one time. It's pointing out a double standard. Quit hiding behind a user name on the Internet to blast the Church. The world is full of evil and sin. The Church has human beings in it so the sins of the world infiltrate the Church and that is very sad. Clear the evil out of your mind and look for the truth with love not hate.