G. K. Chesterton once remarked that Catholics agree about everything; it is only everything else they disagree about.

Why We're Called the Catholic Church

BY MARK SHEA

G. K. Chesterton once remarked that Catholics agree about everything; it is only everything else they disagree about. That is to say, Catholics (and by this he meant "Catholics who know and believe their Faith") agree on a few cosmic truths summarized in the creeds, prayers, sacraments, and common life of the church. However, when it comes to the rest of human existence they not only disagree with one another, but take a rather gleeful pleasure in doing so.

I was reminded of this quite vigorously when, once upon a time, I wrote a review of the action flick The Matrix. I argued -- and still believe -- that this incredibly violent science-fiction film was, in fact, remarkably well-informed about the basic outline of the paschal mystery and that, in its own quirky way, it aimed to present its cyberpunk hero, Neo, as nothing less than a Christ figure. I further argued that the filmmakers did an inventive, interesting, and deeply thought-provoking piece of work in their appointed task. I still recommend the film to anybody who's trying to fathom how to Christian story of Incarnation, death, resurrection, destruction of hell, and ascension might be imaged to a postmodern culture more at home with films than with the written word. I do not believe it's a "Christian" film in that it is not made to evangelize. But I do believe that Christian imagery suffuses almost every frame of it.

Unbeknownst to me, at the same time my review ran the NCCB film review people also did a quick review of The Matrix. Their review categorized the film has "O -- morally objectionable" (because of the enormous levels of violence and bloodshed in the film, violence often committed by the Christ figure Neo). Naturally then, I received several letters from confused readers asking, "Who should I trust? Which review is right? Are you dissenting from the Church?"

The quick answer to these questions is, "Both. Both. No."

The slower answer is that there is no such thing as the Official Catholic Doctrine About Whether The Matrix is a Good Movie or Not. The judgements of the film critic for the NCCB are not doctrines of the Church, but are instead reflections on a particular piece of art, articulated in light of the Church's Tradition and offered to the faithful as a tool for helping them to form their consciences and actions in light of that Tradition. So was my review. And as such, it is possible for two faithful Catholics to see very different aspects of a work of art without necessarily contradicting one another.

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