Review of Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) by Thebitus — 14 Feb 2013

I am very careful how many documentaries like this I watch. I stay away from watching them because there is nothing that I can do right away to make an impact towards the main cause of the movie. Topics like starving kids in Africa, major corporations taking over the world, etc. those are all incredibly sad, yet overwhelming for a simple individual like me.

However, this movie addresses a topic that has been covered for many, many years, and is present all over the world, particularly in the US: sexual abuse by priests, and the covering up of their actions by their superiors all the way to the head of their denomination (in this case, the pope). I have yet to decide which part is more monstrous the act, or the cover-up.

From a technical point of view, the movie is very well done. The agenda is very clear, but it is not filled with hatred and anger. I found it wise that the producers quietly presented the facts from the victims themselves, and included trustworthy persons in the interviews (NY Times reporter, archbishops, former priests, etc.).