19/03/2013 - The disturbing documentary on paedophile priests by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney will hit movie theatres on March 20

Mea Maxima Culpa – Silence in the House of God, the shock documentary on paedophile priests directed by Alex Gibney, will be coming out in Italian movie theatres, distributed by Feltrinelli Real Cinema. The film inevitably dampens the enthusiasm around the recent election of Pope Francis. A necessary step.

“It is important that my film be presented in Italy during these days,” the director underlined. “My unsung heroes have fought all of their lives to obtain justice and put an end to the Church’s lack of listening.”

The documentary is a collection of testimonies from four men, who were sexually abused as children in the 1970s by Father Murphy in an institute for the hearing and visually impaired in Milwaukee. The story recalls hundreds of other testimonies surrounding the same priest, as well as other ‘men of God’ in Ireland and Italy. Their stories underline a heavily documented reality, which the Vatican knew about but stayed silent on.

"Benedict XVI did something, but only went half way,” Vatican specialist Marco Politi said. "He took a paedophile priest away from his ministry, but never opened up the Vatican archives and never ordered bishops to denounce the crimes. Let us hope the new pope does this.”

Mea Maxima Culpa will be coming out on March 20 in fifteen or so Italian cinemas (with a premiere tonight in Rome at the Barberini cinema, with the director). All projections will be accessible to deaf audiences. For a list of theatres, click here.  

(Translated from Italian)