From Fr. Carlos Martins (4/20/23 Facebook Post) commenting on the role of the priest in the movie Nefarious.
The movie includes the character of a liberal priest who comes to minister to the condemned before his execution. He does not believe in the Devil. He comes donning a rainbow stole and a “call me Mr. Nice Guy” cardigan sweater. He would be in full liberal regalia, but for one thing–he is missing a (…cough…) powder blue clerical shirt. We’ve all met this type of priest: light on theology, heavy on “enlightened.”
This type of priest believes supernatural evil is merely a product of psychological inadequacy. “It’s all in your head,“ he tells you, grinning smugly. “We’ve evolved beyond belief in the Devil. We now know that evil is merely the bad thinking that dwells inside us. There is no spiritual bogeyman, just bad thinking. Get a good psychologist to help you understand that your troubles are all within yourself.”
When this same priest walks into the room to meet with the inmate, the Devil recoils, calling him “the Son of God” and asking, “Have you come to destroy us before the appointed time?” Hmmm. I’ve heard that before somewhere.
Imagine the irony. The priest does not believe in the Devil. But the Devil believes in the priest (well, in Christ, who dwells in the priest’s Sacramental ordination.)
This scene is neither anti-Catholic nor anti-priesthood. It is simply great storytelling. The writers found a brilliant way to make a necessary catechetical point. And nailed it … compellingly.
