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Editor’s note: the Oath against Bad Movies was taken by Catholics on Sunday within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception as part of the Confraternity known in America as the “Legion of Decency.” This and other similar confraternities arose after the 1920s attempt by Hollywood to impose evil images (euphemism: “p-rnography”) on the public in order to worship their idol, the dollar. This was part of the “First Sexual Revolution” as discussed in my book. To learn more about this history, see our discussion of successful Catholic-led boycotts at 25:55 in this video. -TSF
For a deep Catholic discussion on the aesthetics of screens in general and film in particular (following the three papal documents on the subject), see the Mass of the Ages podcast on Catholic films, Movie Crusade:
The following is taken from Matthew Plese’s book Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom, page 283:
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The Sunday within the Octave:
The Pledge Against Indecent Movies
The American bishops at a meeting in Washington in 1938 requested all Ordinaries to have the Pledge of the Legion of Decency taken by all the Faithful at all Masses, in all churches and chapels throughout the United States, on the Sunday within the Octave of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In a time when the number of indecent movies – and the perversity of culture intensify – we must rediscover this and, as parishes and families, make this pledge:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen
I condemn indecent and immoral motion pictures and television programs, and those which glorify crime or criminals. I promise to unite my efforts with all those who protest against them.
I acknowledge my obligation to form a right conscience about films and television programs that are dangerous to my moral life.
As a true Roman Catholic, I pledge myself to watch only good motion pictures and television programs. I promise, further, to stay away altogether from places of amusement and sources of entertainment which are offensive to God and occasions of sin for myself and others for whom I am responsible.
For more information, see Vigilanti Cura, the encyclical of Pope Pius XI on motion pictures, which was promulgated on June 29, 1936. This too has been forgotten and is never mentioned by priests nowadays.
Photo by Yerko Lucic on Unsplash
