Filthy Shades of Grey

The Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, sent an email to all his priests asking us to inform our congregations of the "destructive message of this movie and to highlight the beauty of God's design for loving relationships between a husband and wife in the bond of marriage."

Since the evil one cannot create anything, in his frustration and hate for God the Creator, he uses God's created beauty and corrupts it into vehicles for evil. In this case, Hollywood is using the feast day of Saint Valentine, who exemplified Christian virtue and died a martyr's death for it, the ultimate act of love, as the occasion to offer the world a medium to take it further away from virtue and further from true self-giving love.

The Archbishop points out: "The story line is presented as a romance; however, the underlying theme is that bondage, dominance, and sadomasochism are normal and pleasurable. In the story line, a young Miss Steele is urged to sign a contract becoming a sex slave and agreeing to an abusive and degrading relationship. This movie is in direct contrast to the Christian message of God's design for self-giving and self-sacrificing love, marriage and sexual intimacy. The movie is a direct assault on Christian marriage and on the moral and spiritual strength of God's people."

He has not said it, but if I am connecting the dots correctly, it seems to me that a person who hears the Archbishop's teaching on this matter and still goes to see this movie commits a grave sin.

On a similar note, every year at this time, companies like "Pure Romance" ratchet up their advertising. What a misnomer! There is nothing pure about it. Plus, a real man interested in true romance will be willing to lay down his life for his bride rather than use her body for his own gratification. Otherwise he is no better than a selfish boy in a candy store.

Thank you Archbishop! I am blessed to have you as my spiritual father.