What viewers probably don't know is that these movie makers are utterly ignorant of Catholic doctrine and practices. It holds that ordained members of the Catholic clergy stand in the place of Christ. This means they cannot be female, intersex or trans. If they somehow hid this and were ordained anyway, none of the sacraments -- no baptisms, no communions, no confessions, no confirmations, no marriages, last rites -- they performed would be valid. NO bishop, cardinal or pope would allow this in ANY WAY. According to the Catholic belief system, the parishioners would be as in danger of Hell as if they had refused these sacraments. The ending in the film could not happen unless someone in the church like Ralph Fiennes character was actually malevolent.
This was one of the best movies I have seen this year!
What viewers probably don't know is that these movie makers are utterly ignorant of Catholic doctrine and practices. It holds that ordained members of the Catholic clergy stand in the place of Christ. This means they cannot be female, intersex or trans. If they somehow hid this and were ordained anyway, none of the sacraments -- no baptisms, no communions, no confessions, no confirmations, no marriages, last rites -- they performed would be valid. NO bishop, cardinal or pope would allow this in ANY WAY. According to the Catholic belief system, the parishioners would be as in danger of Hell as if they had refused these sacraments.
The ending in the film could not happen unless someone in the church like Ralph Fiennes character was actually malevolent.