Originally published at crisis magazine
“I believe in the tenets of Catholicism. I’m not a doctor of the church. I’m not a theologian who could argue the Trinity. I’m certainly not interested in the politics of the institution,” the director said. “But the idea of the Resurrection, the idea of the Incarnation, the powerful message of compassion and love—that’s the key. The sacraments, if you are allowed to take them, to experience them, help you stay close to God.”
The above quote is from well-known film director Martin Scorsese, given during a 2016 interview with Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaro, editor of the journal La Civiltà Cattolica. I think we can take Scorsese at his word that Catholicism is important to him. He was raised in a devoutly Catholic home, influenced in his youth by Catholic priests, and even entered a seminary, only to leave after one year. However, in the same interview Scorsese admits that he would not describe himself as a “regular church-goer.” Moreover, more recently Scorsese assured us that he doesn’t intend to fully embrace the Faith anytime soon. In a statement made by Scorsese in a clip bundled in The Saints special features, he remarked:
Faith is a question that I don’t think
