Father Flynn, the compassionate, upbeat and charismatic priest, is working to gradually replace the school and church's rigid legalism with sincere love and kindness. He is fiercely opposed by the 'iron-gloved Principal', Sister Aloysius, 'who believes in the power of fear and discipline' and 'running the school like a prison'.
Sister Aloysius is a cynically loveless, prejudiced and self-righteous character who is unwelcoming towards innovations and unappreciative of creativity and arts. She is strongly reproving towards the use of ballpoint pens, condemnatory towards people adding sugar to their tea, and disparaging towards secular songs. She was prejudiced against the priest and was utterly and irrationally convinced of the priest's 'crime', and was determined to expel the priest, despite having absolutely no evidences against him, but only her own self-righteous certainty.
Due to the excellent relationship Father Flynn enjoys with his colleagues, and the obvious admiration and love that the African-American altar boy has for the Father, as Father Flynn protects the boy from another boy's bullying, Sister Aloysius is downright certain that the priest has a serious problem and that his pedophiliac relationship with the altar boy must be it.
Sister Aloysius is a cynically loveless, prejudiced and self-righteous character who is unwelcoming towards innovations and unappreciative of creativity and arts. She is strongly reproving towards the use of ballpoint pens, condemnatory towards people adding sugar to their tea, and disparaging towards secular songs. She was prejudiced against the priest and was utterly and irrationally convinced of the priest's 'crime', and was determined to expel the priest, despite having absolutely no evidences against him, but only her own self-righteous certainty.
Due to the excellent relationship Father Flynn enjoys with his colleagues, and the obvious admiration and love that the African-American altar boy has for the Father, as Father Flynn protects the boy from another boy's bullying, Sister Aloysius is downright certain that the priest has a serious problem and that his pedophiliac relationship with the altar boy must be it.
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Two dialogues from the film:
Sister Aloysius: I'll bring him (Father Flynn) down.
Sister James: How can you be so sure that he is lying (about not having an improper relationship with the black student)?
Sister Aloysius: Experience.
Sister James: You just don't like him! You don't like it that he uses a ballpoint pen. You don't like it that he takes 3 lumps of sugar in his tea. You don't like it that he likes 'Frosty the Snowman' and you are letting that convince you? Of something (the pedophiliac relationship) that's terrible... Just terrible...
Sister James: [Exasperated] Well, I like 'Frosty the Snowman! And I think it will be nice if this school weren't run like a jail. And I think it's a good thing that I love to teach History and that I might inspire my students to love it, too. And if you judge that to mean that I am not fit to be a teacher, then so be it.
Sister Aloysius: Experience.
Sister James: You just don't like him! You don't like it that he uses a ballpoint pen. You don't like it that he takes 3 lumps of sugar in his tea. You don't like it that he likes 'Frosty the Snowman' and you are letting that convince you? Of something (the pedophiliac relationship) that's terrible... Just terrible...
Sister James: [Exasperated] Well, I like 'Frosty the Snowman! And I think it will be nice if this school weren't run like a jail. And I think it's a good thing that I love to teach History and that I might inspire my students to love it, too. And if you judge that to mean that I am not fit to be a teacher, then so be it.
Father Flynn: It's me that cares about that child, not her. Has she ever reached out a hand? That black boy needs help or he's not gonna make it. If she has her way, he'll be left to his own undoing. Why do you think he drank the wine? He's in trouble. And she sees me talk in a human way to these kids and she immediately assumes there must be something wrong with it. Well, I'm not gonna let her keep this parish in the dark ages. And I'm not gonna let her destroy my spirit of compassion.
Sister James: I'm sure that's not her intent.
Father Flynn: That I care about this congregation.
Sister James: I know you do.
Father Flynn: Like you care about your class. You love them, don't you?
Sister James: Yes.
Father Flynn: And that's natural. How else would you relate to children?
Sister James: (Stares blankly)
Father Flynn: Now, I can look at your face and know your philosophy. It's kindness.
Sister James: I don't know. I mean, of course.
Father Flynn: There are people who go after your humanity, Sister. There are people who go after your humanity. They will tell you that the light in your heart is a weakness. Don't believe it. It's an old tactic of cruel people to kill kindness in the light of virtue. There's nothing wrong with love.
Sister James: Love?
Father Flynn: Have you forgotten the message of our saviour? It's love of people.
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Doubts. Prejudices. How far can your doubts and prejudices take you? In her quest to 'prove' that the priest is guilty and to expel him, she even declares that she will 'step away from God' and be 'damned to hell' as she does 'what needs to be done' (she lied blatantly).
Sadly, even in today's age, in spite of the widespread message and teaching of Jesus' love, many followers still allow their prejudices and self-righteousness to take control of them as they consciously set out to devastate individuals' reputations and lives, in various ways, especially with gossip and defamation.
The Sister threatened the Father to leave, or risk having her openly fight him by declaring his 'crime' aloud. Taken aback by the hostility of the Sister, the Father asked him where her compassion is, and she replied "Nowhere you can get at it".
Ultimately, he decided to leave the church. But his superior (the head pastor) not only transferred him to another church and its attached school, but promoted him as well.
"Since he's innocent, why did he leave?", you would ask.
Doubts. Prejudices. How far can your doubts and prejudices take you? In her quest to 'prove' that the priest is guilty and to expel him, she even declares that she will 'step away from God' and be 'damned to hell' as she does 'what needs to be done' (she lied blatantly).
Sadly, even in today's age, in spite of the widespread message and teaching of Jesus' love, many followers still allow their prejudices and self-righteousness to take control of them as they consciously set out to devastate individuals' reputations and lives, in various ways, especially with gossip and defamation.
The Sister threatened the Father to leave, or risk having her openly fight him by declaring his 'crime' aloud. Taken aback by the hostility of the Sister, the Father asked him where her compassion is, and she replied "Nowhere you can get at it".
Ultimately, he decided to leave the church. But his superior (the head pastor) not only transferred him to another church and its attached school, but promoted him as well.
"Since he's innocent, why did he leave?", you would ask.
Haven't we all witnessed scores of examples around us that the accusation and/or gossip about a person committing a crime can be equally damaging as having been convicted of the crime?
When you are accused of such a crime, your reputation is equally ruined and the trust you have built with others damaged as well. You don't even need to be guilty.
What more, this Sister is insanely and strongly intent on bringing him down, and she sure has the shrewd ability to do so. Instead of focusing on God's work and loving the students and congregation, the Father would have to be distracted with the need to fight with her.
When you are accused of such a crime, your reputation is equally ruined and the trust you have built with others damaged as well. You don't even need to be guilty.
What more, this Sister is insanely and strongly intent on bringing him down, and she sure has the shrewd ability to do so. Instead of focusing on God's work and loving the students and congregation, the Father would have to be distracted with the need to fight with her.
When people are obstinately unrepentant and bent on destroying you, what do you do? Do you stay on to be 'responsible' for them? Do you stay on, so as to show you have a clear conscience? Do you stay on so you can clear the misunderstanding?
Staying on seems to be the right, responsible and heroic decision, isn't it? But, does it work for every situation?
Should Father Flynn have stayed on to 'fight' Sister Aloysius, by allowing her to accuse him and declare to the congregation his nonexistent crime? Should he have stayed on to explain to the congregation that he was being accused and instead, expose Sister Aloysius' insanity to everyone? That would have driven Sister Aloysius really mad, literally. That would have sent her into isolation, solitariness, shame and disillusionment. That might have wrecked her of any possible shred of a chance at repentance and salvation.
Also, you might argue, that he could have stayed on and tried to enlighten and change her. Really, you really think it's possible after all his failed attempts to connect with and communicate with her and with her prejudice like an extremist's?
Instead, if he leave... She would be left in quietness to reflect on all that has happened. And he'd be given a chance to show her and everyone his integrity, as he pastor and lead another church and school. The future happenings and outcome would show and tell her what he really is. While he's elsewhere doing good, she's somewhere hearing about all his goodness and be left by herself to reflect on the past.
Sometimes, you don't need to be 'there' to actually impact a person. You don't need to be 'there' to directly talk to a person to enlighten him/her.
Sometimes, leaving is the responsible thing to do.
God spoke to me through a film, again.
