Building A Bridge dir. by Evan Mascagni and Shannon Post

Abstract

Reviewed by: Building A Bridge dir. by Evan Mascagni and Shannon Post Elsie M. Miranda Building A Bridge. Directed by Evan Mascagni and Shannon Post. USA: Player Piano Productions, 2021. 1 hour, 36 minutes. The documentary film Building a Bridge, produced by Martin Scorsese, does a good job of telling the story of Jesuit priest and editor of America Magazine, Father James Martin. Father Jim represents one of the first publicly identifiable Catholic priests who has come out in support of LGBT Catholics and their families at a time when the Catholic Church is deeply divided on matters of sexual ethics. Intrinsic to the Jesuit charism, "All for the Glory of God" requires that Jesuits recognize the inherent value of all human beings, including showing respect, compassion, and sensitivity to LGBT persons. For Father Jim, this is not a matter of contextually interpreting Catholic sexual ethics but rather a consequence of the foundational Catholic principle of respect for the human person. In 2018, days after the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida (the largest mass shooting in American history), Father Jim recalls his grief and deep disappointment by the silent apathy of many priests and bishops who in essence turned their backs on these victims and their families, even at the moment of their death, because they were gay. Indignant at the clerical cowardice to do what was right, just, and merciful, Father Jim set out to write a book he titled: Building a Bridge, How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. The film, by the same name, tells the story of Father Jim's emergence as an advocate for LGBT Catholics and their families and raises questions about the willingness and capacity of the Roman Catholic Church to engage in the process of bridge-building with the LGBT community. What is refreshing about the film is the joyful sincerity of Father Jim. This is on display as he tends to his garden, celebrates Eucharist, prays, shares the love of his family, and speaks to communities across the globe. Throughout the film, his demeanor is one of sincerity, born of a deep commitment to love and care for others in [End Page 67] the name of Jesus. Father Jim's humility empowers him to offer a legitimate, pastoral message of inclusion, hope, and mercy to LGBT Catholics. He listens to personal stories, recognizes people's struggles, celebrates their victories, and shows respect, compassion, and sensitivity, born out of his love of Jesus, which is just what many need to hear. At the same time, his message falls short of calling the church to real systemic change, which the institutional church has been reluctant even to consider. The film highlights these social and ecclesial tensions by giving considerable airtime to alt-right conservative Michael Voris. Founder of "Church Militant," Voris confesses to being an "ex-gay" man who "lived in sin for 13 years." He lashes out against Catholic clergy who are "not more vocal against condemning LGBT Catholics." His focused attack on homosexual behavior as grounds for damnation is enhanced with the idea that obedience to the orthodox teachings of the church and the willingness to enter into corporal suffering are what provide the path to redemption and salvation. Curiously, Voris's demeanor exhibits overt homophobia and expresses his disgust of male homosexual behavior with rage. He says, "If you do not carry that cross, you do not get into the kingdom of heaven"—Voris wears a cross around his neck that may very well be emblematic of other crosses he carries. Nevertheless, the film juxtaposes these two celibate, Catholic men as representing two faces of the Catholic Church in the United States and proposes that a reconciliatory process of bridge building be undertaken between the church and the LGBT community; however, a practical approach for how to begin this project remains ambiguous. What the film fails to do is to provide a rationale for the impasse. In the process of embarking on a narrative of "bridge-building" between the church and the LGBT community, it is necessary to understand the basic theological premise that informs the notion of...