Benedetta: And the Problem with Catholic Symbolism
As I was sitting through the Eucharist celebration on New Year’s day, a day which commemorates the solemnity of Mary the mother of God, which also happened to be one of the handful of times I have bothered/managed to go to church the past year, I was battling the urge to fall asleep in what was a predictably dreary occasion.
Whilst some of the hymns were good, the ambiance of the environment was for the most part dull, and sleep-inducing. As I was holding back yawns, it dawned on me that the priest had begun his sermon for the day. At which point I knew things will get better.. only to get worse.
You see sermons are one of the few things that liven me during the mass. Despite the fact that virtually all Catholic sermons these days can be summarized as tedious, theologically illiterate, self-indulgent monologues. And this one was no different. Whilst my interest had been piqued at the notion of something intellectually engaging, what was on show instead was the age-old anti-humanistic narratives that have come to define Catholicism and in many ways Christianity as a whole. Points which I will get to in the course of this essay.
What was interesting however is the movie Benedetta (2021): a French film, directed by the Dutch screenwriter Paul Verhoeven on forbidden love involving a Catholic nun living in 16th century Italy. For some reason, thoughts about this nudity-laced movie started creeping into my mind mid-point during the sermon. The trigger, I presume, was the nape of a young woman who was sitting a few benches in front of me: a blithe, raven-haired girl in a black line-dress. As my thoughts started to linger on livelier environs, I started to ponder (as I often do) the predicament at hand.
The sermon, as bad as it was: encompassing the typical ‘Don’t attach yourself to worldly things, don’t be driven by your desires, don’t follow the urges of the body, don’t set your mind on things which are material, sensual and existential’. I am paraphrasing, but those who are familiar with Catholic religious life would no doubt know what I am talking about: The inherently world rejecting character of the faith. As it happened the sermon of the day, in relation to the controversial film Benedetta, provoke a debate of sorts in my mind. And this essay is the result.
What the Critics of Benedetta Get Right
The movie Benedetta, which was released in the latter part of 2021 was controversial for many reasons. A movie that was supposed to be based on true events is based on the book: Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy (1986). As its title ought to indicate, the messages and themes engaged in the book (which I have not read), were not going to go down well with persons of faith. Particularly the Catholic variety. And rightly so. Let me explain.
A number of Catholic and Christian groups have voiced their opposition to this movie, with the protests I am aware of, emanating from the United States, and even from parts of Europe. The critics of Benedetta, who are invariably religious, Christian specifically, and overwhelmingly Catholic; are right in voicing their opposition to this. For it is a film that crudely exploits religious imagery, rituals, and other aspects of Catholic life for sexual showmanship. Whilst much has been made of its supposed ‘women’s liberation’ message. (In a sexual sense and otherwise). What is on show however are intimate moments involving two attractive women, whose sole purpose, it seems, is to titillate the audience.
The problem with Benedetta is not so much the sex and nudity, but the setting and context in which these things play out. As a heterosexual male, I have little to complain about watching two attractive women getting it on with each other. The idea of ‘girl-on-girl action’ that is captured under the heading of ‘lesbian’ emanates from the pornographic world. Where such manufactured sexual scenarios are produced for the titillation of third parties, with the main target being straight men.
Which in the context of the movie, defeats the female empowerment message that the film is supposed to communicate. As the viewer is less likely to take seriously other aspects of the movie, no matter how seriously they are portrayed given its overtly sexual undercurrent.
On the flip side, an argument can be made that a movie of this sort-one with a lot of sex and nudity-to be featured on the big screen (it was showcased at the 2021 Cannes film festival in France) is somewhat out of sync with the increasingly sex-negative times-speaking of the Anglo-American world-we’re in. Where mainstream movies are preoccupied with advancing narratives on ‘strong female characters’ under the heading of ‘gender equality’. Where ‘creative’ choices with respect to story and character development, usually come at the expense of a woman’s sexuality. At least one that caters to heteronormative sensibilities (Captain Marvel 2019 is a case in point).
But the problem with Benedetta, one that its religious critics rightly point out, is its crass disregard for the Holy. The audacity with which the script violates what is considered sacrosanct by the Catholic mind is at times dumbfounding. With Holy Orders are portrayed as repressed centers that mask a spirit of hedonism, where rampant moral hypocrisy and sexual indulgence abound.
Worst of all the use of religious relics (statues) for, to use the euphemism, ‘self-abuse’. This is especially problematic, as we are now getting into the territory of sacrilege, which in the world of film is prevalent in the pornographic world. Where the use of religious, notably Christian imagery, in adult content has developed into something of a sub-genre. One that is featured in many European and particularly French adult movies: Where Catholic imagery and rituals, and by extension, its clerical representatives are situated in pornographic scenarios.
If one considers Benedetta to be a movie that is not pornography proper, it clearly seems to have taken “inspiration” from the film subgenre known as ‘nunsploitation’: which basically exploits Catholic religious life for the purpose of titillation. Let me reiterate, the problem here is not with the sex and nudity on screen per se, but rather it is the exploitation of what is considered holy and sacred by the faithful, via the sexual for cinematic effect.
Speaking of Europe and the West in general, it goes without saying that such a cinematic stunt would never have been aimed against a religion like Islam or even Judaism for that matter, to say nothing of the other great religions of the world. Christianity, and particularly the Catholic Faith is an easy target, especially for the secularized masses which predominate the European continent. And when viewed from this perspective, this movie is nothing special. If the idea is to be provocative in engaging religion and sexuality and to provide something subversive for the audiences, Benedetta is no different from any run-of-the-mill softcore film that exploits religious symbolism.
What the Critics of Benedetta get Wrong
The protests against Benedetta have sought to do two things: one, draw attention to the problematic character of the film, in terms of its offensive character (bear with me Mr. Hitchens), with respect to religious sensibilities. And two, they have tried to shut the film down in local theaters, wherever the faithful have been able to organize themselves. I agree with the first part of this action, but not with the second. For the secular or ‘liberal-minded’, or those who think making movies of this sort is fine, let me explain why.
Protesting Need Not Equal Banning
Christianity is different from other Religions. Provided one chooses to go with the view that Christianity is a religion (it isn’t), what sets the belief in Jesus Christ apart from other major religious worldviews is that Christianity is a faith that is built on the spirit of acceptance (not tolerance). Where awareness of one’s own faults oneself precedes the criticism of those of others, underpinned by the importance of forgiveness. In a word, Christianity is about love.
To love in the Christian faith is to accept those around us (i.e. the representatives of the wider culture) by being able to ‘love’ them for what they are. Love in this context means letting people to their own designs, even if it is something immoral or sinful, just as the way God allows his children (i.e. you and me) to go astray and do as we please from time to time.
If film producers today want to make movies and other forms of art mocking the Christian faith, let them do so. It is not the first time nor would it be the last. What is important, however, is that Christians, in expressing their opposition, ‘permit’ the offending stakeholders to do as they please (i.e. not to have them shut down or ‘canceled’). This is a secular dogmatic move, which the faithful should not fall for. For as we ought to know God is the ultimate judge. This is what sets Christianity different apart from other religious systems like…
The Cultural Antagonism towards Christianity is of its own Making
Let’s be honest, when it comes to attacking religion in whatever form: humor, history, politics, and sexuality Christianity is a prime target. Partly this is a reflection of the state of Western culture-part of the world from which such things emerge-which besides secularizing, in the process has also developed a deep distaste for religious life.
It is one thing to not believe in God, not go to Church, and not to value religious teachings, doctrines, and practices. But it is another matter to deliberately go after and belittle elements that define the Christian faith. The anti-clerical character of the movie Benedetta reflects this cultural unease with religious orders and religious authority.
The portrayal of Christian, notably Catholic leaders as corrupt, greedy, lustful, in sum hypocritical beings, has become a part of movies and other media that seek to attack the spiritual foundations of the West. The examples here are countless: from movies, West End (or Broadway) musicals, books, etc. Speaking of culture in general, it is fair to say that the West, at the level of the mainstream culture, is a predominantly anti-Christian one. Among its strongest or worst of these embodiments are to be found in internet porn. As the adult industry, today has become another medium through which Christianity is attacked and belittled.
Taken together, the key reason why Christianity has become an object of derision and mockery in the West is that it is weak. The Church of Jesus Christ-Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox-are not the institutions they were decades ago. To say nothing of the centuries past when the Church was at the center of culture and human progress.
Christianity and Catholicism specifically are viewed as a spent force that has nothing to offer the human mind and society as a whole. Besides advancing its antediluvian views on reality, which are characterized by its repressively outdated views on sexuality and freedom. With the Church as a whole is ultimately viewed as an institution that exists to stymie human progress. And if you think about it, this critic is not too far from the truth.
Catholic Symbolism and its Disconnect from Reality
One of the best movies I have seen in a while is Dune by Denis Villeneuve. A movie based on the first half of Frank Herbert’s Sci-Fi masterpiece that was released in 1965. Dune is a great film for a number of reasons: the world-building, special effects, its characters, and most importantly its decision to stay true for the most part, to the source material in content and in spirit.
One of the most memorable moments in the film is the scene involving Sardaukar: the elite forces of the Imperium. The scene involved the ruthless army of the Emperor, as they were being prepped for battle in their military world of Salsa Secundus. This scene stood out (as I have written elsewhere) for a number of reasons. Here I would like to focus on its symbolism.
The word symbolism means the use of symbols to represent and/or emphasize certain ideas or qualities. Speaking of the Catholic world, there is no shortage of these. It, along with Orthodox Christianity is arguably one of the most symbolic religions in the world: From the various rituals, ceremonies, prayers, and practices that define Catholic life, Catholicism can be considered a symbolic religion.
If one speaks of the Catholic Sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Ordination to Extreme Unction. Each of these comes with a designated set of rituals, prayers, and practices all of which carry great symbolic and ultimately spiritual importance. However, if one looks closely at all of them, it becomes apparent that all of these Sacraments exist solely or primarily for the benefit of the soul.
The soul here refers to what is considered eternal about the human construct: that which, according to a more traditional reading, will either be in paradise or be doomed to hell when the time comes. The problem is people today, especially in the West no longer value such things. People generally don’t care about going to heaven, or escaping the fires of hell. And hence tend not to order their life based on such cosmic views.
Many in the West today are utterly secular, with most adopting an agnostic or even an outright atheistic view of life. Since that is the case, the rituals and practices, and their symbolic value, which are deemed to be important ONLY to questions of the spirit, but not of the flesh; those which are concerned with the life hereafter, rather than with the realities of the here and now; render the functional significance of these rituals and practices, as it pertains to Earthly questions about life, minimal.
Questions of life, that, speaking of the Catholic world, revolve around the top four baddies of Power, Pleasure, Money, and Status. The very things that religions like Roman Catholicism (i.e. its outspoken representatives) instinctively shun, and evangelically demonize.
Returning to Dune, Frank Herbert’s Universe is set thousands of years into the future. A future where the major religions of the world haven’t exactly gone extinct but have instead evolved. A close inspection of the Dune universe reveals that the religious sense rather than dying out has come to thrive by becoming something different, something better, something that is relevant to the trials of life and the aspirations of man. Faith in the future can only endure if it chooses to evolve.
In the scene involving the Sardaukar’s pre-battle preparation: we are provided a short glimpse into their eerie world. One that is ruthless but ordered, militant but spiritual. The ceremonialism that characterizes the preparation: as the warriors are lined up in formation, priestesses clad in black make their way through the ranks of soldiers. Marking them with the blood of the fallen-presumably other Sardaukar trainees who have failed the trials. The failed recruits who have been strung upside down, in a reverse crucifixion, bled out to die. With their lifeblood feeding the pool from which the surviving warriors are anointed. The religious fanaticism and horror of this moment aside, what also struck me was its transcendental power. A moment filled with symbolic power, but nonetheless, its intent was very Earthly or in the Dune Universe, galactic!
The preternatural rituals despite their apparent disconnect from reality actually served an existential function. And this is my inference, for I am not fully familiar with Sardaukar culture, is that the scene where the warriors are being prepped for battle, with fallen soldiers bled out in a ritualist fashion, implies the inherent Darwinism of their worldview.
The Sardaukar warriors come from the Corrino homeworld of Salusa Secundus, which following the ascendancy of the Corrinos to the throne of the Imperium, transformed it into a prison planet. Where the wretched souls who opposed the will of the Emperor and other vermin were sent to live out their miserable existence. Its transformation into a base for the ruthless warriors of the Corrino, to me, implies the application of a certain survivalist imperative to their way of life. Where the able-bodied segments of the planet were conscripted into the Corrino fighting force, under strict, or better, ruthless selection criteria.
Natural selection in the Corrino world took on a very purposeful path. Weeding out the weak, and uplifting the strong, who would then go on to serve the will of the Emperor. ‘Natural selection’ that was imposed by design. Also, the Social Darwinism that was operative here was underpinned by occultic considerations.
In the Dune universe, the Emperor is more than just a ruler. He is more than just a man. And loyalty to him requires more than just allegiance. In the Sardaukar what we see is a form of fanatical adherence that is verging on belief. ‘Faith’ in other words. This is implied heavily by the Sardaukar officer in the movie, who describes their force as “The Emperor’s Blades”. The takeaway for Christianity, if one cuts out the twisted, war-like character of their worldview is the importance of symbolism. One that is grounded in reality. One that is tethered to achievable ends, and has the power to motivate and inspire. For what we have with the Sardaukar is a world rich with symbolism, but critically one where symbolism is aimed towards attainable, concrete considerations: notably that which corresponds to power.
This however is not the case in the Catholic world. Catholic symbols like the crucifix, statues of Saints, the rituals that characterize religious life, and the clerical representatives who are supposed to preside over them, with their arcane set of practices; are viewed as totally detached from material, sensual, existential, and ultimately Earthly considerations. Such as the pursuit of money, power, pleasure, and honor.
In the context of Benedetta, the perceived nonsexual or anti-sexual character of Catholic holy orders makes them ripe targets for a polity that has grown cynical of the sacred. For religious life, the idea of sacredness is viewed by the secular to be only important for sacredness’ sake, without having any this-worldly significance. In a time where people no longer value things that are NOT of this world, the ‘otherworldly’ orientation of Christian symbolism has naturally made it the object of mockery and derision.
The Catholic Church today is an institution that is losing power. It is a Church without leadership, vision, or purpose at least as far as worldly questions are concerned. Its sole preoccupation with questions that concern the fate of the human soul rather than man’s Earthly upliftment has led to its embrace of an anti-humanistic worldview. One that is defined by its antagonism towards all that is good in THIS world: The joys brought forth by money, power, pleasure, and honor. The very things the Church views as evil or at best distractions that take us away from ‘God’s plan’.
Leaving aside the Church’s charitable activities, that stress helping the poor, which in practice seems like an end in itself; the defining characteristic of the holy mother church today is the negation of the spirit of man which strives towards the true, the good, and the beautiful in the here and now. The fact that the Church has no understanding of what drives the human spirit, individually and collectively has resulted in the devolution of a belief system whose norms, doctrines, rituals and are untethered from the aspirations of man. Christianity, embodied by the Catholic Church has become a symbol of its own irrelevance.