Did the Catholic Church ever classify some films as sinful to watch, according to ecclesiastic law?

Did the Catholic Church ever classify some films as sinful to watch, according to ecclesiastic law? - Man in Black Coat Standing Near White Window Curtain

The National Legion of Decency was a Roman Catholic organisation founded in 1933 that rated films, changing its name in 1965 to the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures. Until 1978, one of the classifications it used was "C" for "Condemned". My question is whether at any time, and if so, between which years, this classification amounted to an official ecclesiastical ban on Roman Catholics watching the "condemned" films. By an official ecclesiastical ban I mean a statement of ecclesiastic law, breach of which would have been considered a sin throughout the Catholic Church.

I am sceptical as to whether this was so. The grouping appears to have been an organisation within the Roman Catholic Church, to the policy of which church members were encouraged to "pledge", rather than an official agency that made law. Another reason I would be surprised if it were an official law-making agency is that I have found no reference to its publishing in Latin.

For comparison, consider the List of Prohibited Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum). Publications listed on the Index, or by authors whom it referred to as having all of their works banned (such as Emile Zola and Jean-Paul Sartre) were certainly "prohibited", with it thereby becoming a sin under the Church's ecclesiastic law to read any of them. It was in 1966 that the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith stated that inclusion on the Index no longer had that effect. Formerly known as the Inquisition, the Congregation was not an agency that made policy statements to which church members could decide whether or not to "pledge" their support.






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What movies did the Catholic Church ban?

TCM is Showing 27 Movies Condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency
  • Thursday, March 3. The Story of Temple Drake (1933) Black Narcissus (1947) ...
  • Thursday, March 10. M (1951) The French Line (1954) ...
  • Thursday, March 17. Viridiana (1961) ...
  • Thursday, March 24. The Carey Treatment (1972) ...
  • Thursday, March 31. The Moon is Blue (1953)


Does the Catholic Church still rated movies?

The Roman Catholic Church is changing its film rating system, replacing its old ''class C, condemned'' and ''class B, morally objectionable in part for all'' with a single category called ''O, morally offensive. ''

Is Catholic same as Roman Catholic?

"In popular usage, 'Catholic' usually means 'Roman Catholic'," a usage opposed by some, including some Protestants. "Catholic" usually refers to members of any of the 24 constituent Churches, the one Western and the 23 Eastern.

Did Jesus start the Catholic Church?

Origins. According to Catholic tradition, the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. The New Testament records Jesus' activities and teaching, his appointment of the twelve Apostles, and his instructions to them to continue his work.



Can Catholics Watch R Rated Movies? (feat. Barbara Nicolosi)




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