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Media Reviews
Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church
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Father Boniface Ramsey Karna Lozoya
The introductory episode of the podcast Crisis: Clergy Abuse in the Catholic Church, a series which ran in September 2019, starts off with a chilling recollection by Father Boniface Ramsey of a photo of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and a young boy standing together in their swim trunks. It is powerful because Father Ramsey is the one who spoke up about McCarrick’s sexually abusive behavior, which had gone unchecked for so long. (McCarrick has since been laicized for his actions.)
After that, host Karna Lozoya, executive director of strategic communications for the Catholic University of America, fi lls listeners in as to how the podcast came to be and what it would be discussing. She recalls that she started her position just weeks after the report was released about the sexual abuse perpetrated by McCarrick.
Lozoya teamed up with The Catholic Project, an initiative of the Catholic University of America, to create the podcast— a 10-part series discussing the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and its origins, characters, causes, and reforms. During the episodes, she interviews bishops, survivors, reporters, lawyers, social workers, and many more.
The fi rst episode recounts the events of 2018, beginning with the issuing of the report on McCarrick. It then looks at other events of the year, including the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report and the controversial remarks by Pope Francis regarding sex-abuse cases in Chile.
Many of the episodes contain a disclaimer at the beginning, warning listeners that they will be hearing descriptions of sexual abuse. Make no mistake, this can be tough to listen to. But it is important to hear.
The series does a great job of providing a 360-degree look at the crisis, making sure that the listener does not get only one side of the story. Episodes range from the more newsy aspects of the crisis—such as a time line of what happened when and what happens once an allegation is made—to the more personal and investigative scope of the crisis, featuring stories of survivors and topics such as the role of the laity, bishops’ accountability, and others.
Anyone with concerns that this is a justifi cation or soft treatment of the abuse crisis need not worry. This podcast is an honest, painful look at this very important topic. And while it is tough to listen to, I would recommend that people take the time to listen.
In asking people to share the podcast with family, friends, coworkers, or parishioners, Lozoya says that the fi rst step to ending abuse in the Church is to not be silent about it.
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The Minimalists: Less Is Now
Netflix
In May of 2020, after two months of lockdown, I bought a new iPhone. I deserve this, I rationalized. The world is in crisis, and I should treat myself—plus it’s good for the economy. But I didn’t stop there. I upgraded my Apple Watch and my AirPods. I then augmented my cable package to include 100 more channels. And then things got serious: Amazon. I mentally walked through each room of my house and started a list of “needs.” In the ensuing weeks, I saw Amazon drivers more regularly than family members. But was I happier?
That is the central question filmmakers Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus ask in their Netflix documentary The Minimalists: Less Is Now. In a scant 53 minutes, they make a compelling argument for scaling back on material goods.
It couldn’t be timelier. According to a Brookings Institution report, the global pandemic only slightly curbed our spending in 2020, as compared to the year before. Collectively, Americans spent $12.5 trillion last year on durable and nondurable goods and services. And given how much of our time is spent online, this should come as no surprise. Search engines and social media sites track our activities and habits, hoping to funnel us to e-commerce sites to spend money. And with Amazon at our fingertips, overspending is as easy as the click of a button.
The filmmakers assert that our need to acquire and consume has left our culture wanting for what truly matters: community, clarity of thought, and simplicity. And they’re not alone: Peppered throughout the documentary is perspective from experts and fellow minimalists about the dangers of cocooning oneself with material goods. For these minimalists, amassing things meant security. But it began to suffocate them. Only when they sold or donated all but the essentials could they really breathe. Millburn and Nicodemus, friends and creative partners for decades, shepherd viewers through the narrative, but they bite off more than they can chew here: 53 minutes isn’t a big enough canvas for a subject of this size.
Still, the film succeeds in asking its audience a sobering question: Do we own our things or is it the other way around?
TV-14 • Language.
Less Is More!
Looking to downsize or live more simply? Stream these before you take the leap!
TINY HOUSE NATION
Netflix
On the surface, it may look like your typical renovation show. Peel a layer back, and hosts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin show how tiny house lovers are living large in small, low-impact spaces. Tiny House Nation is thought-provoking and fun.
This indie documentary by Ryland Pearson-McManus looks at the freegan movement in Australia— those who dumpster dive for discarded food and live off supermarket waste. The film is a raw and aweinspiring look at a fringe wing of the environmental movement.
Released in 2009, this documentary shows how Colin Beavan, his then-wife, Michelle, and their young daughter lived for a year in New York City with no impact on the environment. This funny and flawed family shows us the joys and struggles of living with less.
