It seems as if there are a lot of movies being made lately that are inspired by true stories. In the past few days alone, I’ve seen two of them where one of which was titled Philomena. Based on the real life story of Philomena Lee, this 2013 British Drama film focused on a woman’s 50 year search to find her son whom she was forced to sign away at a convent in Roscrea, Ireland at the age of 18.
Sometimes films really enlighten me when I see the horrors that have existed throughout time because of those in power. Maybe that’s why I like movies so much because they paint a much more vivid picture of them than a book might. Philomena is just one of many films that has done this for me. Others noteworthy to mention are films like 12 Years A Slave, which portrayed the horrors of slavery in our country, and The Passion Of Christ, which showed similar horrors, but solely those done to Jesus Christ.
In Phliomena though, the horror that was focused on was the fact that many unwed mothers in Ireland back in the 1950’s were disowned by their families and sent to convents. There they were forced to sign the rights away to their children, usually before they were even born there. During the birthing process, many of these women never even survived because they were denied the same birthing aids that women usually received through normal hospital care at the time. The Catholic Church thought of these women as sinners and degenerates and left the birthing process up to chance as to whether God wanted either the mother or her child to survive or not. Philomena Lee was one of those women who did survive that ordeal, along with her son Anthony. But sadly, her son was taken from her before the age of 4 when the Catholic Church sold him to an American couple through an ongoing adoption process they utilized to make money.
During the movie, my partner and others in the theater reacted in anger towards the many Catholic Church’s denials and cover-ups of what happened to Philomena and her son. I am even struggling as I write these words because I too could very easily jump on that anger bandwagon. I’ve had too many friends in my life that were sexually abused by Catholic priests, where those incidents were denied and covered up as well. Add in the fact that homosexuals have consistently been thought of as sinners and hell-bound by the teachings of the Catholic institution, it makes it very difficult for me to write with love and light about the Catholic Church. But I’ve also learned that anger doesn’t help fuel anything other than more anger and resentments. So I’ve chosen to look at all of the Catholic Church’s horrors that are being exposed these days, like Philomena’s ordeal, as misguided and filled with a lot of spiritual sickness. This has helped me to feel more sad about all of it rather than angry.
Hopefully one day, the names of God and Jesus Christ will stop being used by the Catholic Church and those in power in them to justify doing terrible actions, such as what happened to Philomena and the other 50,000+ women who lost either their lives, their children, or both from it. There is much healing that needs to take place on this planet, especially with so many who have been negatively affected by these past actions of the Catholic Church. But being angry won’t bring any of that about. Instead, I’ve learned the best I can do is to feel my sadness and pray for the healing and forgiveness for all those involved in any of the Catholic Church’s transgressions.
While I’m not Catholic, I do have many friends and loved ones who are. I don’t look negatively upon any of them for what a few leaders once allowed to happen to Philomena and the many other women who suffered the ordeal of an unspiritual birthing and adoption process. I’m just happy that Philomena was at least able to have some closure to her 50 year long search for her son. The movie truly stirred my heart as I’m sure it was intended to do. And it’s my hope that anyone who sees this film will at least walk away from it with greater awareness and not something unspiritual such as anger and anti-Catholic Church sentiments.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson