Viva Cristo Rey!

Would that every Catholic over the age of reason in the USA in 2012 could see the remarkable film For Greater Glory! The movie narrates, apparently with reasonable historic accuracy, the heroism of the Cristeros and martyrs (some now beatified and canonized) who resisted the brutal suppression of religious freedom by the Mexican Calles government in the 1920s. Perhaps most poignant is the father-son-type love between the agnostic-but-militant-in-defense-of-freedom general of the resistance, Enrique Gorostiesta, (played unusually well by now-seasoned Andy Garcia)and the the young martyr, now Blessed Jose Luiz Sanchez del Rio, who is tortured but refuses to mouth the words "Death to Christ the King." Particularly despicable is the spectacle of his godfather, an influential and accomadationist mayor, who exhorts him to apostasy and stands by while he is tortured. A little research unveiled facts more shocking than the drama portrayed by the movie. It appears that the actual torture/murder of the young martyr was witnessed by two childhood friends, one of them being the notorious Father Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionnaires of Christ who died in the disgrace of sex abuse. But it gets even worse: Maciel was nephew of a now-canonized bishop, Saint Rafael Guizar Velencia, who supported the Cristeros, was known as "bishop of the poor," and died in hiding. His body was found to be incorrupt 12 years after his death, except for his left eye which he had offered on behalf of a sinner. It appears that this saint died of a heart attack, shortly after giving his 18-year-old nephew Marcial a severe reprimand for complaints from neighbors about the noise he made in his home with students in his religion classes. Seminary directors at the time are reported to have blamed his death on his nephew's behavior. The chiarascoro here of heroism, holiness and profound evil could hardly be more shocking! Returning, however, to the film and the political reality of USA 2012: Perhaps our bishops could require this of all communicating Catholics? Could viewing of this epic replace Sunday mass obligation sometime in October? Could we have general penance services in which all Catholic who have voted Democrat in a national election would be required, as penance, to view this film? Might we, with God's grace,today emulate the strength, courage, fidelity and holiness of these Cristero heroes and martyrs?