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Title: |
Vigilanti Cura
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Descr.: |
On Motion Pictures
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Pope: |
Pope Pius XI
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Date: |
June 29, 1936
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To
Our Venerable Brethren of the United States of America, the
Archbishops, Bishops, and Other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion
with the Apostolic See.
Venerable
Brethren, Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.
INTRODUCTION
In
following with vigilant eye, as Our Pastoral Office requires, the
beneficent work of Our Brethren in the Episcopate and of the
faithful, it has been highly pleasing to Us to learn of the fruits
already gathered and of the progress which continues to be made by
that prudent initiative launched more than two years ago as a holy
crusade against the abuses of the motion pictures and entrusted in
a special manner to the "Legion of Decency".
This
excellent experiment now offers Us a most welcome opportunity of
manifesting more fully Our thought in regard to a matter which
touches intimately the moral and religious life of the entire
Christian people.
First
of all, We express Our gratitude to the Hierarchy of the United
States of America and to the faithful who cooperated with them,
for the important results already achieved, under their direction
and guidance, by the "Legion of Decency". And Our
gratitude is all the livelier for the fact that We were deeply
anguished to note with each passing day the lamentable progress -
magni passus extra viam - of the motion picture art and industry
in the portrayal of sin and vice.
I.
PREVIOUS WARNINGS RECALLED
As
often as the occasion has presented itself, We have considered it
the duty of Our high Office to direct to this condition the
attention not only of the Episcopate and the Clergy but also of
all men who are right-minded and solicitous for the public weal.
In
the Encyclical "Divini illius Magistri", We had already
deplored that "potent instrumentalities of publicity (such as
the cinema) which might be of great advantage to learning and to
education were they properly directed by healthy principles, often
unfortunately serve as an incentive to evil passions and are
subordinated to sordid gain".(1)
The
Influence Of The Motion Picture
In
August 1934, addressing Ourselves to a delegation of the
International Federation of the Motion Picture Press, We pointed
out the very great importance which the motion picture has
acquired in our days and its vast influence alike in the promotion
of good and in the insinuation of evil, and We called to mind that
it is necessary to apply to the cinema the supreme rule which must
direct and regulate the great gift of art in order that it may not
find itself in continual conflict with Christian morality or even
with simple human morality based upon the natural law. The
essential purpose of art, its raison d'être, is to assist in the
perfection of the moral personality, which is man, and for this
reason it must itself be moral. And We concluded amidst the
manifest approval of that elect body - the memory is still dear to
Us - by recommending to them the necessity of making the motion
picture "moral, an influence for good morals, an
educator".
And
even recently, in April of this year, when We had the happiness of
receiving in audience a group of delegates to the International
Congress of the Motion Picture Press, held at Rome, We again drew
attention to the gravity of the problem and We warmly exhorted all
men of goodwill, in the name not only of religion but also of the
true moral and civil welfare of the people, to use every means in
their power, such as the Press, to make of the cinema a valuable
auxiliary of instruction and education rather than of destruction
and ruin of souls.
The
Needs Of The Entire Catholic World
The
subject, however, is of such paramount importance in itself and
because of the present condition of society that We deem it
necessary to return to it again, not alone for the purpose of
making particular recommendations as on past occasions but rather
with a universal outlook which, while embracing the needs of your
own dioceses, Venerable Brethren, takes into consideration those
of the entire Catholic world.
It
is, in fact, urgently necessary to make provision that in this
field also the progress of the arts, of the sciences, and of human
technique and industry, since they are all true gifts of God, may
be ordained to His glory and to the salvation of souls and may be
made to serve in a practical way to promote the extension of the
Kingdom of God upon earth. Thus, as the Church bids us pray, we
may all profit by them but in such a manner as not to lose the
goods eternal: "sic transeamus per bona temporalia ut non
admittamus aeterna".(2)
Now
then, it is a certainty which can readily be verified that the
more marvelous the progress of the motion picture art and
industry, the more pernicious and deadly has it shown itself to
morality and to religion and even to the very decencies of human
society.
The
directors of the industry in the United States recognized this
fact themselves when they confessed that the responsibility before
the people and the world was their very own. In an agreement
entered into by common accord in March, 1930, and solemnly sealed,
signed, and published in the Press, they formally pledged
themselves to safeguard for the future the moral welfare of the
patrons of the cinema.
It
is promised in this agreement that no film which lowers the moral
standard of the spectators, which casts discredit upon natural or
human law or arouses sympathy for their violation, will be
produced.
Promises
Not Carried Out
Nevertheless,
in spite of this wise and spontaneously taken decision, those
responsible showed themselves incapable of carrying it into effect
and it appeared that the producers and the operators were not
disposed to stand by the principles to which they had bound
themselves. Since, therefore, the above-mentioned undertaking
proved to have but slight effect and since the parade of vice and
crime continued on the screen, the road seemed almost closed to
those who sought honest diversion in the motion picture.
In
this crisis, you, Venerable Brethren, were among the first to
study the means of safeguarding the souls entrusted to your care,
and you launched the "Legion of Decency" as a crusade
for public morality designed to revitalize the ideals of natural
and Christian rectitude. Far from you was the thought of doing
damage to the motion picture industry: rather indeed did you arm
it beforehand against the ruin which menaces every form of
recreation which, in the guise of art, degenerates into
corruption.
The
"Legion Of Decency" Pledge
Your
leadership called forth the prompt and devoted loyalty of your
faithful people, and millions of American Catholics signed the
pledge of the "Legion of Decency" binding themselves not
to attend any motion picture which was offensive to Catholic moral
principles or proper standards of living. We are thus able to
proclaim joyfully that few problems of these latter times have so
closely united Bishops and people as the one resolved by
cooperation in this holy crusade. Not only Catholics but also
high-minded Protestants, Jews, and many others accepted your lead
and joined their efforts with yours in restoring wise standards,
both artistic and moral, to the cinema.
It
is an exceedingly great comfort to Us to note the outstanding
success of the crusade. Because of your vigilance and because of
the pressure which has been brought to bear by public opinion, the
motion picture has shown an improvement from the moral standpoint:
crime and vice are portrayed less frequently; sin is no longer so
openly approved and acclaimed; false ideals of life are no longer
presented in so flagrant a manner to the impressionable minds of
youth.
A
Useful Impetus
Although
in certain quarters it was predicted that the artistic values of
the motion picture would be seriously impaired by the reform
insisted upon by the "Legion of Decency," it appears
that quite the contrary has happened and that the "Legion of
Decency" has given no little impetus to the efforts to
advance the cinema on the road to noble artistic significance by
directing it towards the production of classic masterpieces as
well as of original creations of uncommon worth.
Nor
have the financial investments of the industry suffered, as was
gratuitously foretold, for many of those who stayed away from the
motion picture theatre because it outraged morality are
patronizing it now that they are able to enjoy clean films which
are not offensive to good morals or dangerous to Christian virtue.
When
you started your crusade, it was said that your efforts would be
of short duration and that the effects would not be lasting
because, as the vigilance of Bishops and faithful gradually
diminished, the producers would be free to return again to their
former methods. It is not difficult to understand why certain of
these might be desirous of going back to the sinister themes which
pander to base desires and which you had proscribed. While the
representation of subjects of real artistic value and the
portrayal of the vicissitudes of human virtue require intellectual
effort, toil, ability, and at times considerable outlay of money,
it is often relatively easy to attract a certain type of person
and certain classes of people to a theatre which presents picture
plays calculated to inflame the passions and to arouse the lower
instincts latent in the human heart.
An
unceasing and universal vigilance must, on the contrary, convince
the producers that the "Legion of Decency" has not been
started as a crusade of short duration, soon to be neglected and
forgotten, but that the Bishops of the United States are
determined, at all times and at all costs, to safeguard the
recreation of the people whatever form that recreation may take.
II.
THE POWER OF THE CINEMA
Recreation,
in its manifold varieties, has become a necessity for people who
work under the fatiguing conditions of modern industry, but it
must be worthy of the rational nature of man and therefore must be
morally healthy. It must be elevated to the rank of a positive
factor for good and must seek to arouse noble sentiments. A people
who, in time of repose, give themselves to diversions which
violate decency, honor, or morality, to recreations which,
especially to the young, constitute occasions of sin, are in grave
danger of losing their greatness and even their national power.
It
admits of no discussion that the motion picture has achieved these
last years a position of universal importance among modern means
of diversion.
The
Most Popular Form Of Amusement
There
is no need to point out the fact that millions of people go to the
motion pictures every day; that motion picture theatres are being
opened in ever increasing number in civilized and semi-civilized
countries; that the motion picture has become the most popular
form of diversion which is offered for the leisure hours not only
of the rich but of all classes of society.
At
the same time, there does not exist today a means of influencing
the masses more potent than the cinema. The reason for this is to
be sought for in the very nature of the pictures projected upon
the screen, in the popularity of motion picture plays, and in the
circumstances which accompany them.
The
power of the motion picture consists in this, that it speaks by
means of vivid and concrete imagery which the mind takes in with
enjoyment and without fatigue. Even the crudest and most primitive
minds which have neither the capacity nor the desire to make the
efforts necessary for abstraction or deductive reasoning are
captivated by the cinema. In place of the effort which reading or
listening demands, there is the continued pleasure of a succession
of concrete and, so to speak, living pictures.
This
power is still greater in the talking picture for the reason that
interpretation becomes even easier and the charm of music is added
to the action of the drama. Dances and variety acts which are
sometimes introduced between the films serve to increase the
stimulation of the passions.
It
Must Be Elevated
Since
then the cinema is in reality a sort of object lesson which, for
good or for evil, teaches the majority of men more effectively
than abstract reasoning, it must be elevated to conformity with
the aims of a Christian conscience and saved from depraving and
demoralizing effects.
Everyone
knows what damage is done to the soul by bad motion pictures. They
are occasions of sin; they seduce young people along the ways of
evil by glorifying the passions; they show life under a false
light; they cloud ideals; they destroy pure love, respect for
marriage, affection for the family. They are capable also of
creating prejudices among individuals and misunderstandings among
nations, among social classes, among entire races.
On
the other hand, good motion pictures are capable of exercising a
profoundly moral influence upon those who see them. In addition to
affording recreation, they are able to arouse noble ideals of
life, to communicate valuable conceptions, to impart a better
knowledge of the history and the beauties of the Fatherland and of
other countries, to present truth and virtue under attractive
forms, to create, or at least to favor understanding among
nations, social classes, and races, to champion the cause of
justice, to give new life to the claims of virtue, and to
contribute positively to the genesis of a just social order in the
world.
It
Speaks Not To Individuals But To Multitudes
These
considerations take on greater seriousness from the fact that the
cinema speaks not to individuals but to multitudes, and that it
does so in circumstances of time and place and surroundings which
are most apt to arouse unusual enthusiasm for the good as well as
for the bad and to conduce to that collective exaltation which, as
experience teaches us, may assume the most morbid forms.
The
motion picture is viewed by people who are seated in a dark
theatre and whose faculties, mental, physical, and often
spiritual, are relaxed. One does not need to go far in search of
these theatres: they are close to the home, to the church, and to
the school and they thus bring the cinema into the very center of
popular life.
Moreover,
stories and actions are presented, through the cinema, by men and
women whose natural gifts are increased by training and
embellished by every known art, in a manner which may possibly
become an additional source of corruption, especially to the
young. Further, the motion picture has enlisted in its service
luxurious appointments, pleasing music, the vigor of realism,
every form of whim and fancy. For this very reason, it attracts
and fascinates particularly the young, the adolescent, and even
the child. Thus at the very age when the moral sense is being
formed and when the notions and sentiments of justice and
rectitude, of duty and obligation and of ideals of life are being
developed, the motion picture with its direct propaganda assumes a
position of commanding influence.
It
is unfortunate that, in the present state of affairs, this
influence is frequently exerted for evil. So much so that when one
thinks of the havoc wrought in the souls of youth and of
childhood, of the loss of innocence so often suffered in the
motion picture theatres, there comes to mind the terrible
condemnation pronounced by Our Lord upon the corrupters of little
ones: "whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones
who believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone be
hanged about his neck and that he be drowned in the depths of the
sea".
It
Must Not Be A School Of Corruption
It
is therefore one of the supreme necessities, of our times to watch
and to labor to the end that the motion picture be no longer a
school of corruption but that it be transformed into an effectual
instrument for the education and the elevation of mankind.
And
here We record with pleasure that certain Governments, in their
anxiety for the influence exercised by the cinema in the moral and
educational fields, have, with the aid of upright and honest
persons, especially fathers and mothers of families, set up
reviewing commissions and have constituted other agencies which
have to do with motion picture production in an effort to direct
the cinema for inspiration to the national works of great poets
and writers.
It
was most fitting and desirable that you, Venerable Brethren,
should have exercised a special watchfulness over the motion
picture industry which in your country is so highly developed and
which has great influence in other quarters of the globe. It is
equally the duty of the Bishops of the entire Catholic world to
unite in vigilance over this universal and potent form of
entertainment and instruction, to the end that they may be able to
place a ban on bad motion pictures because they are an offence to
the moral and religious sentiments and because they are in
opposition to the Christian spirit and to its ethical principles.
There must be no weariness in combating whatever contributes to
the lessening of the people's sense of decency and of honor.
This
is an obligation which binds not only the Bishops but also the
faithful and all decent men who are solicitous for the decorum and
moral health of the family, of the nation, and of human society in
general. In what, then, must this vigilance consist ?
III.
A WORK FOR CATHOLIC ACTION
The
problem of the production of moral films would be solved radically
if it were possible for us to have production wholly inspired by
the principles of Christian morality. We can never sufficiently
praise all those who have dedicated themselves or who are to
dedicate themselves to the noble cause of raising the standard of
the motion picture to meet the needs of education and the
requirements of the Christian conscience. For this purpose, they
must make full use of the technical ability of experts and not
permit the waste of effort and of money by the employment of
amateurs.
But
since We know how difficult it is to organize such an industry,
especially because of considerations of a financial nature, and
since on the other hand it is necessary to influence the
production of all films so that they may contain nothing harmful
from a religious, moral, or social viewpoint, Pastors of souls
must exercise their vigilance over films wherever they may be
produced and offered to Christian peoples.
To
The Bishops Of All Countries
As
to the motion picture industry itself, We exhort the Bishops of
all countries, but in particular you, Venerable Brethren, to
address an appeal to those Catholics who hold important positions
in this industry. Let them take serious thought of their duties
and of the responsibility which they have as children of the
Church to use their influence and authority for the promotion of
principles of sound morality in the films which they produce or
aid in producing. There are surely many Catholics among the
executives, directors, authors, and actors who take part in this
business, and it is unfortunate that their influence has not
always been in accordance with their Faith and with their ideals.
You will do well, Venerable Brethren, to pledge them to bring
their profession into harmony with their conscience as respectable
men and followers of Jesus Christ.
In
this as in every other field of the apostolate, Pastors of souls
will surely find their best fellow workers in those who fight in
the ranks of Catholic Action, and in this letter We cannot refrain
from addressing to them a warm appeal that they give to this cause
their full contribution and their unwearying and unfailing
activity.
From
time to time, the Bishops will do well to recall to the motion
picture industry that, amid the cares of their pastoral ministry,
they are under obligation to interest themselves in every form of
decent and healthy recreation because they are responsible before
God for the moral welfare of their people even during their time
of leisure.
The
Moral Fiber Of A Nation
Their
sacred calling constrains them to proclaim clearly and openly that
unhealthy and impure entertainment destroys the moral fiber of a
nation. They will likewise remind the motion picture industry that
the demands which they make regard not only the Catholics but all
who patronize the cinema.
In
particular, you, Venerable Brethren of the United States, will be
able to insist with justice that the industry of your country has
recognized and accepted its responsibility before society.
The
Bishops of the whole world will take care to make clear to the
leaders of the motion picture industry that a force of such power
and universality as the cinema can be directed, with great
utility, to the highest ends of individual and social improvement.
Why indeed should there be question merely of avoiding what is
evil? The motion picture should not be simply a means of
diversion, a light relaxation to occupy an idle hour; with its
magnificent power, it can and must be a bearer of light and a
positive guide to what is good.
And
now, in view of the gravity of the subject, We consider it timely
to come down to certain practical indications.
A
Yearly Promise From The Faithful
Above
all, all Pastors of souls will undertake to obtain each year from
their people a pledge similar to the one already alluded to which
is given by their American brothers and in which they promise to
stay away from motion picture plays which are offensive to truth
and to Christian morality.
The
most efficacious manner of obtaining these pledges or promises is
through the parish church or school and by enlisting the earnest
cooperation of all fathers and mothers of families who are
conscious of their grave responsibilities.
The
Bishops will also be able to avail themselves of the Catholic
Press for the purpose of bringing home to the people the moral
beauty and the effectiveness of this promise.
The
fulfillment of this pledge supposes that the people be told
plainly which films are permitted to all, which are permitted with
reservations, and which are harmful or positively bad. This
requires the prompt, regular, and frequent publication of
classified lists of motion picture plays so as to make the
information readily accessible to all. Special bulletins or other
timely publications, such as the daily Catholic Press, may be used
for this purpose.
Were
it possible, it would in itself be desirable to establish a single
list for the entire world because all live under the same moral
law. Since, however, there is here question of pictures which
interest all classes of society, the great and the humble, the
learned and the unlettered, the judgment passed upon a film cannot
be the same in each case and in all respects. Indeed
circumstances, usages, and forms vary from country to country so
that it does not seem practical to have a single list for all the
world. If, however, films were classified in each country in the
manner indicated above, the resultant list would offer in
principle the guidance needed.
A
National Reviewing Office
Therefore,
it will be necessary that in each country the Bishops set up a
permanent national reviewing office in order to be able to promote
good motion pictures, classify the others, and bring this judgment
to the knowledge of priests and faithful. It will be very proper
to entrust this agency to the central organization of Catholic
Action which is dependent on the Bishops. At all events, it must
be clearly laid down that this service of information, in order to
function organically and with efficiency, must be on a national
basis and that it must be carried on by a single center of
responsibility. Should grave reasons really require it, the
Bishops, in their own dioceses and through their diocesan
reviewing committees, will be able to apply to the national list -
which must use standards adaptable to the whole nation - such
severer criterions as may be demanded by the character of the
region, and they may even censor films which were admitted to the
general list.
Films
In Parish Halls
The
above-mentioned Office will likewise look after the organization
of existing motion picture theatres belonging to parishes and to
Catholic associations so that they may be guaranteed reviewed and
approved films. Through the organization of these halls, which are
often known to the cinema industry as good clients, it will be
possible to advance a new claim, namely that the industry produce
motion pictures which conform entirely to our standards. Such
films may then readily be shown not only in the Catholic halls but
also in others.
We
realize that the establishment of such an Office will involve a
certain sacrifice, a certain expense for Catholics of the various
countries. Yet the great importance of the motion picture and the
necessity of safeguarding the morality of the Christian people and
of the entire nation makes this sacrifice more than justified.
Indeed the effectiveness of our schools, of our Catholic
associations, and even of our churches is lessened and endangered
by the plague of evil and pernicious motion pictures.
Care
must be taken that the Office is composed of persons who are
familiar with the technique of the motion picture and who are, at
the same time, well grounded in the principles of Catholic
morality and doctrine. They must, in addition, be under the
guidance and the direct supervision of a priest chosen by the
Bishops.
Exchange
Of Information
A
mutual exchange of advice and information between the Offices of
the various countries will conduce to greater efficiency and
harmony in the work of reviewing films, while due consideration
will be given to varying conditions and circumstances. It will
thus be possible to achieve unity of outlook in the judgments and
in the communications which appear in the Catholic Press of the
world.
These
Offices will profit not only from the experiments made in the
United States but also from the work which Catholics in other
countries have achieved in the motion picture field.
Even
if employees of the Office - with the best of good will and
intentions - should make an occasional mistake, as happens in all
human affairs, the Bishops, in their pastoral prudence, will know
how to apply effective remedies and to safeguard in every possible
way the authority and prestige of the Office itself. This may be
done by strengthening the staff with more influential men or by
replacing those who have shown themselves not entirely suited to
so delicate a position of trust.
Painstaking
Vigilance
If
the Bishops of the world assume their share in the exercise of
this painstaking vigilance over the motion picture - and of this
We who know their pastoral zeal have no doubt - they will
certainly accomplish a great work for the protection of the
morality of their people in their hours of leisure and recreation.
They will win the approbation and the approval of all right
thinking men, Catholic and non-Catholic, and they will help to
assure that a great international force - the motion picture -
shall be directed towards the noble end of promoting the highest
ideals and the truest standards of life.
That
these wishes and prayers which We pour forth from a father's heart
may gain in virtue, We implore the help of the grace of God and in
pledge thereof We impart to you, Venerable Brethren, and to the
Clergy and people entrusted to you, Our loving Apostolic
Benediction.
Given
at Rome, at St Peter's, the 29th day of June, Feast of SS Peter
and Paul, in the year 1936, the fifteenth of Our Pontificate.
Endnotes:
1.
A.A.S., 1930, vol. XXII, page 82. | 2. From the Mass of the Third
Sunday after Pentecost.
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