Movie about Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Scandal Makes US Premiere in Milwaukee

TMJ4
October 5, 2012

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/172923131.html

[with video]

MILWAUKEE- The controversy over the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal hits the big screen.

Not only that, but Friday night is the US premiere of the film. It's called Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God -- a documentary focused on the sexual assaults within the church right here in Milwaukee.

With bright lights, ticket lines, even a red carpet, the event had all the trimmings of a blockbuster premiere.

The film brought a message to the big screen. Telling the story of hundreds of young men abused by Father Lawrence Murphy, the headmaster at St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis.

Showing the film to many of the victims themselves, filmmaker Alex Gibney uses the documentary to expose their pain -- and the cover-up by the Catholic Church.

"At the heart of this story is a lot of pain, a lot of suffering, but there are also four heroes -- deaf men -- who were determined to have their voices heard," says Gibney.

Arthur Budzinski is one of those men. Abused by age 12, he was one of the first victims to confront Murphy and the archdiocese.

"I want to prove to the archdiocese that this is a fact," says Budzinski. "This happened."

Budzinski is still waiting for answers from the church. In the meantime, he -- and the film's producers -- are hopeful the picture will shed light on a worldwide problem.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee just released a statement ahead of Friday's showing. A spokesman maintains the church has taken significant steps to purge abuse from the community, and looks at the retelling of the events as picking a scab off an old wound.