Twist of Faith [DVD]

Think you've had problems in your life? Meet Tony Comes. I thought the sex crimes committed by the priest were horrible, but the crime committed by the local diocese was even worse. There is no amount of money that can take away the pain and hurt that was inflicted on Tony, but an honest admission of guilt and willingness to repair the damage would have been a good place to start. The movie was informative and real - too real at times. I think God has reserved a special place in hell for people who use their "ministry" to perpetrate these criminal acts, and for the people who know about it and do nothing but lie and cover it up.The movie is almost embarrasingly personal at times, showing scenes of human anguish that resonate long after the credits roll. I found myself thinking about it for weeks afterward, almost haunted by the evil that masqueraded as a servant of God. Tough to watch - impossible to forget.

This is a DVD that puts a human face on the statistics of the Catholic Church sexual abuses. Jason Berry's book "Render Unto Rome" tells the startling financial losses of the Vatican and especially the U.S. Catholic churches who pay for most of the suits(closing in on $2 bilion). This money is nothing compared to the agony and suffering of these victims. Tony Comes is a reluctant victim at first, but the abuse from 20 years earlier forces him to act. Valiantly, he fights along with others to seek justice. His wife supports him which gives him strength to carry on under duress. I especially underscore the scene where he tells his 10 year old daughter about his experiences with this "monster" priest who lives only five houses away. This is a lesson for all young parents: be honest with your children. This HBO team and family have given us all a "teachable moment". Outstanding!

This is a very disturbing movie and not easy to watch because it is so infuriating that the Catholic church gets away with covering up their crimes and perpetuating them by simply sending the offenders to new pastures where they can continue raping children.The movie tells the heartbreaking story of firefighter Tony Comes, who has all of his life had to live through the trauma of the aftermath of sexual abuse. In his story you can see that the abuse does not only affect the victim, but his whole family who all have to suffer. That should be an indication of the enormity of the crime that the "religious" watchdogs of the church have suppressed and covered up for years and years, probably ages. Sadly, it ends up with Tony accepting a payoff from the church (of course it's an admission of guilt) but not the proper and formal apology that he wanted. Hopefully, he and his wife will be able to put this behind them and get on with their lives.The most troubling part of the film is the interview with serial rapist Dennis Gray, who denies to the bitter end that he has done anything wrong and even claims that putting a penis in a child's mouth is not harmful at all to the child. It dawns on you after a while that this is what true evil looks like,this utterly, utterly soulless man who has no compassion or empathy for the children who are put into his trust.The way the Catholic Church dealt with the sex abuse scandals is a dark stain on their sleeve, a stain that will remain there for a long, long time. After all, it's not about just talking the godly talk, but walking the godly walk, right?

Absolutely heartbreaking. When this report first came out, I wondered how any Catholic could support a religion of pedophiles. Then it became more and more disgusting, as it was happening in almost every community, and EVERY State. The church knew this was happening, and just moved these homosexual pedophiles from town to town. The Canon Laws are outrageous...priests can do ANY vile act they want, then lie about it to protect the church....WHAT? My belief has been...the church was to save souls, not destroy them. I believe these predators are still, very much, active today. How can anyone, continue to go to a church that is filled with such evil? And NO...you don't forgive evil.