Priest has a heavy religious overtone in that it frankly shows every hypocritical facet of a clergy Priest, while in no way

subtle or unpredictable, manages to stay fresh and engaging until the very end with the way it jumps from one sexual taboo to the next under the mist of religion Sexual themes/messages: Matthew much more liberal vs Gregs orthodoxy finds matthews behavior undignified Homosexuality and religion Stereotypes: At the end, says and man shall lie with a woman anything else is an abomination Suggest about men? Women? Adults? Internal struggle is evident especially with the case of Lisa but Gregs homosexuality isnt really touched upon until his secret is revealed. More time is spent on the issue of Greg struggling to do the right thing for Lisa and following his duty as a priest. He turns to Graham for advice: They used to ask us a question when we were in seminary: a man comes up to you in confession and tells you that he's poisoned the altar wine. Do you go out and say Mass? I had no problem with it; I'd go out and drink the wine. I suppose there's a little of the martyr in all of us. Im not certain. All Ive got is faith. Something evil comes along, grinning sickening evil. Faith just runs away in terror.

Celibacy Duty vs love for William Stereotypes: Incest Stereotypes: Lisas father said its what people have been doing from the beginning Pedophilia

Stereotypes: Mother more against greg for not saying anything Reaction to movie and messages Priest has a heavy religious overtone in that it frankly shows every hypocritical facet of a clergy Greg described as more orthodox by bishop Father Ellison tells Greg to get out while he can. William during sermon If you do anything to prevent one single human being from reaching their full potential, arent you interfering in creation and spitting in the face of god? Thats what I believe. Thats my truth.

Greg You cant change the rules just because they dont suit you. Theres just sin. Matthew I was in South America for for years. In the village I was in, you had to have a woman otherwise you were ignored. So I got oneFast. Greg: Where is she now? Matthew Shes still there. Greg: She served her purpose? Matthew Well thats what you want to hear, so yeahI dumped her. Youre very certain of yourself arent you, Greg? Well Im notA few years around here and youll understand! Sacrements, reconciliation, moral guidancethats our job. For Gods sake, Matthew, Moral guidance from a man with a bit on the side. Enter Maria: If youre going to judge, you should know all the facts. We love each other. Hes asked me to marry him. That means him leaving the priesthood, so I said no. not because im a martyr to the faith; its because one day he might regret it and I dont want to see that if he does. Anything else you should know? Oh yeah, I seduced him. He didnt seduce me. Why does greg choose to go out cruising right after the funeral reception?

Lisa: he makes me do things. who? my dad/ what sort of things all sorts sex? *nods* does your mother know? You must tell her. *lisa shakes head* tell him its got to stop. Tell him youve seen me and I said its got to stop. Promise? Lisas Dad Father. Keep your nose out of my business. *winks* Mom oblivious In confessional I cant break the seal of the confession. A man once paid twenty four thousand pieces of silver for the right to commit incest. You know who sold him that right? Pope Alexander VI. Incest is evil. incest is human. Its the most natural thing in the world. the most unnatural. Of courseyoure the expert, arent you father? Youve never been with a woman. Let alone fathered a child, but youre the bloody expert. Well you ask any manany proper man. You ask him when does he stop patting his daughters bum. When shes 12? When shes 14? And why does he stop patting it? Cus she doesnt like it? Because he doesnt like it? Oh, because he does like it. But, wheres he going to stop? Ive dedicated my life to the study of incest, and theres nothing anybody can tell me about it, least of all you. I can tell you its a sin. Its one of the gravest sins of all. *Greg suggests getting help* I dont need help. I dont need therapy. Im not a textbook case. Im not a sexual inadequate! Ive just seen through all the bullshit, thats all. Inhuman is it? Then why go through all the trouble making laws against it? Why does every society around the world put a taboo around it? Ill tell you why. Its the one thing wed all like to dodeep downin here. And what does lisa think? *runs away* After refusing Graham communion: Have you always been celibate? I sit in my room, sweating. I turn to him for help. I see a naked man, utterly desirable. I turn to him for help and he just makes it worse. Up there in my room, thats my Gethsemane. I understand humanity then. Every sin, every compulsion, I understand it all! Saliva, racing pulse, adrenaline, the ecstasy

before the fall And Matthew, what I should say is Matthew, I can hug and smile and preach the beauty of creation because in here theres just sin and sickness and evil
I was going to get out, Greg, when I was your age. It wouldve broken my mothers heart. So I waited. By the time she died, it was too late. There was nothing I could do. Get out now, Greg, while you still have your health and strength. Love who you want, when you want. Get out. I cant get out. God wants me to be a priest. I dont think it I dont just believe it I know it. Breakdown Do something! Dont just hang there, you smug idle bastard! Do something! Im going to tell someone. Thats what you would do. Shes a 14 yr old girl. you wouldnt see her suffer. You d say this girl is me. This girl is all suffering humanity for this I came. You wouldnt give a damn about the church and its rules and its regulations. The secrecy of confession; how could that be good when it allows evil to thrive? Youd speak out.leads to Lisas mother finding out about her husband. Mother completely against what hes doing. Calling him an animal. Telling him to get out. Confronts Greg. You knew. You knew. What kind of man are you? I hope you burn in hell. Greg goes to Graham after breakdown and finds him with another man but they reconcile and get together in Grahams car and become intimate, with Graham confessing that he loves Greg. They find themselves arrested for indecent exposure While the neither the acting nor the characters seemed forced, the situations they find themselves in do not feel entirely genuine. Every action committed by the characters feels exactly like a plot device, nothing more. Greg attempts to kill himself after finding the news of his arrest plastered across the front page of the towns newspaper. Matthew interferes just in time to get Greg help. The way the sexual themes are depicted are slightly biased because of the religious overtone. Matthews liberalness acts as movies voice, preaching the subtleties of acceptance and what is morally right when the movie itself finds it difficult to do so adequately. Youve broken the vow of celibacy. So you should demand to be treated as any other priest, heterosexual or homosexual. It doesnt make any difference. Youve broken a man-made rule thats all. Its there for the protection of property, to keep it from the widows of priests. Christ was celibatethe church gives us everything, money, food, shelter, respect; and all she asks in return is celibacy. Christ gave his life! All were asked for is celibacy and we cant even manage that. Christ didnt ask us to be celibate. Its a man made rule. I solemnly swear. Thats our currency, matthew, solemn vows. We debase them because we cant even stick to them ourselves.

I think I love him. Do you want him? Yes. All the time? A lot of the time. And is that sinful? Sick. So, to which for a man is sick? To want to scratch that itch, to want to make love to a man? Thats sinful?Yes. And to go on scratching, to want to live with another man? Thats permanent sin. Thats evil. The mean priest is chaperoning matthew and greg. Movie culminates with half the parish leaving in disgust to Greg saying mass with Matthew. Several parishioners exclaim that Greg being there is out of order. How Matthew is making a laughing stock out of their faith. No respect from that its in the bibledo you read the bible do you? You pervert? You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination!