Mags GarganChurch spokespeople have distances themselves from controversial comments about the film Fifty Shades of Grey made by a high-profile priest.
Fr Paddy McCafferty, who serves in the Co. Down parish of Crossgar, has appealed to Catholics to avoid the film, which he describes as “contrary to the Faith and offends against human dignity”.
Fr McCafferty said that the film, which stars Jamie Dornan from Holywood, Co, Down, portrays “perversion as being acceptable and respectable”.
“It’s clear that anything to do with sadomasochism and bondage has no place in a healthy, functional, decent human relationship, and it is the obligation of a priest to speak out and sound the alarm about forms of entertainment that are not wholesome,” he told The Irish Catholic.
“It is something we need to evaluate given this film is surrounded by massive publicity and hype and was released on St Valentine’s Day portraying a gravely dysfunctional, destructive relationship between two people fronted by an industry only interested in making money, not in good human values and what we would call Christian values.”
A spokesperson for the Catholic Communications Office told The Irish Catholic that Fr McCafferty had made his comments “speaking in a personal capacity”. “Having neither read the book nor reviewed the film, the Catholic Communications Office is not in a position to comment.”
Fr McCafferty said he “makes no apology for not having read the books or seen the film” and said that he did not believe his comments would generate further interest in the film. “The publicity is there whether you like it or not. I am just responding to the hype and publicity being thrown at us,” he said.
“I, as a priest, as a Christian, am simply asking people to think, stop, reflect, evaluate. After that, people, of course, will make up their minds whether to see the film or not.”