By Tomasz Juszczak

Tom McCarthy’s Oscar nominated film Spotlight has no doubt triggered both uncomfortable silences and fiery debates around the world. Set in Boston in 2001 and based on true events, the film offers a harrowing view of the extent of the child sex abuse crisis within the Archdiocese of Boston and the broader Catholic Church. Having spent the better half of two hours shrunken back into my seat, I will admit, Spotlight is not easy to watch. But maybe sometimes a bit of discomfort is exactly what we need.

The story follows a group of reporters from Boston’s The Globe newspaper who have been asked by their new editor to investigate child molestation cases involving a local priest. Their investigation leads to the discovery that the scandal goes far beyond one single priest and involves several cover-ups by the leadership of the Archdiocese.

Spotlight sheds an honest – albeit confronting – light on a crisis that has plagued the Church, while refraining from any blatant form of “church-bashing.” There is no typical “goodies vs badies” storyline. Rather, as the story unfolds we start to realise that almost every character was complicit in some form. The Globe editor Marty Baron (played by Liev Schreiber) sums it up well: “sometimes it’s easy to forget that we spend most of our time stumbling around in the dark. Suddenly a light gets turned on, and there’s a fair share of blame to go around.”

For viewers, especially Catholics, the depiction of these hard truths will really hit home. Confronting such truths might make us think: perhaps if priests and bishops more readily admonished those who committed such horrendous sins, things may have been different. Perhaps if we parishioners spent as much time praying for our priests as we did complaining about them, things may have been different. Perhaps if the victims had been truly comforted, rather than silenced, things may have been different. As they stand, they aren’t. But perhaps, these notions might just hold the key to how we can move forward.

Mercy.

Let me explain. Mercy is not about letting people off the hook and pretending everything is okay. Hiding such crimes and “protecting” the men who commit them demonstrates a lack of understanding of true mercy. Mercy is about admonishing sinners, comforting the afflicted, instructing the ignorant, counselling the doubtful and praying for others. Mercy is about helping others to look their sins in the face, take responsibility for them, accept the consequences and beg for forgiveness.

It’s true, had we as a Church been more merciful from the beginning, things may have been different. But it’s also true that facing this issue with mercy right now will be the path to true healing. It’s no accident that the timing of this movie coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy. This year is a gift that we should use to take mercy to unparalleled levels and accelerate this process of reconciliation. This year fills me with great hope.

Spotlight isn’t perfect. Some of the research mentioned and conclusions drawn are questionable. It can also give the impression that the Church has done nothing since the time this crisis was uncovered. This is beside the point. We as the Church don’t need to have another hook to latch onto as an excuse for what has happened. This movie doesn’t allow for that – nor do we deserve it. It’s time to get off of the defensive and turn our gaze outward. In embracing this Year of Mercy we Christians need to abandon our vain attempts to preserve our image and get back to the basics. The Church does not exist for her own sake, but for the sake of those who are afflicted, who are doubtful, who have been hurt and are in need of healing.

That is why Spotlight is a real gift to the Catholic Church. It is an examination of conscience. It admonishes the faithful rightfully for their sins. It instructs those of us who are ignorant. It presents an invitation to repent and an opportunity to reconcile. It is a call to prayer for both sinners and victims. It is indeed a gift of mercy.