VATICAN - 7TH MEETING ON SPIRITUAL CINEMA: CHRIST IN THE CINEMA

Rome (Fides Service) –“How cinema has approached themes and subjects related to religion and the sacred and in particular the figure of Christ” is the aim of the 7th international study meeting organised by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications with the Italian Entertainment Office. The meeting will be held at Urban College in the morning of 2 December.
Presenting the event Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said “in the scenario of representations of Christ on the screen we can see an attempt to make the word become image, an attempt of great importance for the spectator because through the work of film directors Christ’s message of love is proclaimed again and it can reach the whole world. This is, in a way, a new form of evangelisation, as powerful as the impact of the screen in our era.”
In more than a hundred years of its life cinema has seen a remarkable production of films on the figure of Jesus and episodes of the Gospel: “many directors, with different languages and sensitivity have put their art at the service of God made Man…the figure of Christ has been in fact directly or indirectly one of the most interesting themes for many directors some of whom also caused scandal ” Archbishop Foley said.
“Today more than ever we seem to hear the longing for love rising from the earth, from one end to the other, a call for peace on earth. Therefore, the One who gave his life for mankind inspired our reflection with famous experts of the sector of cinema who will accompany us on this journey to discover the face of Christ in cinema..” (S.L.) (Fides Service 28/11/2003 – lines 23; words 322)