Despite widespread exposure in recent years, the scourge of pedophilia in the church continues. The Catholic Church hierarchy is adept at covering up cases of abuse and protecting perpetrators through relocation. Church: The Law of Silence examines these systemic cover-ups.
The investigation takes the filmmakers through Cameroon, Argentina, Italy and the United States. They uncovered a conspiracy of silence and injustice that was fully endorsed by a man seen as a protector. Clergy accused of sexually abusing minors are routinely transferred to other churches around the world, and their exposure to children continues unabated.
In the early moments of the film, the scale of the epidemic becomes clear. The filmmakers participated in an annual alliance of victims of abuse called SNAP (Network of Survivors of Abuse by Priests). There, they met hundreds of adults who actively united against the structures that allowed them to be abused at a young age. Participants came from places such as Chile, the Philippines and Berlin.
In France, a documentary team tracks down an accused priest who has been wanted by Canadian law enforcement for nearly 20 years. He is one of countless priests who have been protected by the Church and saved from persecution for his crimes.
This conspiracy led to the apex of the church’s internal power structure. The investigation has implicated Pope Francis in uncovering his key role in protecting sex abusers during his tenure as bishop of Buenos Aires.
The film also interviews whistleblowers whose loyalty to the church has eroded since these sex abuse scandals broke, as well as officials assigned to curb abuse at the church.
Generations of victims have come forward describing years of abuse and ongoing trauma at the hands of priests they knew and trusted. Hopefully the Catholic Church will come up with a set of regulations that will effectively end this horror. Church: The Law of Silence shows they still have a long way to go.
Directed by: Martin Boudot
