
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney exposes the abuse of power in the Catholic Church and a cover-up that winds its way from the row houses of Milwaukee Wisconsin, through the bare ruined choirs of Ireland's churches all the way to the highest office of the Vatican. By investigating the secret crimes of a charismatic priest who abused over 200 deaf children in a school under his control - the film shows the face of evil that lurks behind the smiles and denials of authority fi... (Full plot summary below)
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Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney exposes the abuse of power in the Catholic Church and a cover-up that winds its way from the row houses of Milwaukee Wisconsin, through the bare ruined choirs of Ireland's churches all the way to the highest office of the Vatican. By investigating the secret crimes of a charismatic priest who abused over 200 deaf children in a school under his control - the film shows the face of evil that lurks behind the smiles and denials of authority figures and institutions who believe that because they stand for good they can do no wrong.
Leave your thoughts about Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God.
| Financial TimesNigel AndrewsThis is a tremendous documentary: at once cool and scalding, outraged and meticulous; a must-see for everyone, both inside and outside the "House of God". |
| Spirituality and PracticeFrederic and Mary Ann BrussatA shocking and poignant documentary about the Catholic Church's cover-up of sexual abuse and the victims who heroically came forward to break their silence. |
| AV ClubAlison WillmoreMea Maxima Culpa is not gentle about placing blame on a structure that elevates priests above the rest of mankind and prioritizes maintaining an appearance of pious perfection over addressing some grievous wrongs committed. |
| Film Comment MagazineMeredith SlifkinWell done and compelling, and at its strongest when focusing on the bravery of these four deaf men who broke the silence. |
| Paste MagazineEmily KirkpatrickEven though Mea Maxima Culpa can be incredibly sad and frustrating, the film is able to go beyond the tragedy of these boys' lost childhoods, using that empathy to incite anger, impatience and action in its audience. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertGiven the grievousness of their sins, one wonders why the church continues to shelter them. Might it not be more appropriate to excommunicate them, and refer them to the attention of the civil authorities? |
| ComingSoon.netEdward DouglasPowerful enough to leave you wondering whether the Catholic Church will ever stop protecting child molesters. |
| PopMattersCynthia FuchsThe past persists, and in Mea Maxima Culpa, it finds powerful expression. |
| Urban CinefileAndrew L. UrbanWith meticulous care and intricate detail, Silence In The House of God deconstructs the nature of the Catholic Church's systematic cover ups of pedophilia among their clergy, stretching back well into the past century |
| The ListTom DawsonDetails the ways, in the face of devastating evidence, that the Catholic Church attempted to cover-up a priest's serial criminality. |