Now, you might be wonderin’, “What in tarnation does the United States Catholic Bishops have to say ’bout movies?” Well, lemme tell ya, it’s a bit like how we’d look at a cow before we decide if it’s fit to eat. The Catholic Church don’t just watch any ol’ movie, no sir. They got a system in place, just like how we got a way of sorting out the good potatoes from the bad ones. You see, they got somethin’ called the USCCB, which stands for United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and they been doin’ movie reviews for years. But it ain’t the bishops themselves doin’ the watchin’. Nope, they got some regular folks, lay professionals, to rate these movies for ’em.
Now, how do they rate these films? Well, it’s a bit of a system, just like how we’d rate a hard winter or a good harvest. They got five main categories:
- A-I: General Patronage – This is for movies that’s good for just about everyone. It’s like when you see a nice, healthy-looking apple in the tree, ready for the picking. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it.
- A-II: Adults & Adolescents – This one’s for the older folks and teenagers. Not too bad, but might have a few things you’d wanna explain to the young’uns.
- A-III: Adults – Now this here is for the grown-ups. The kind of movies that got more mature stuff in it, like talkin’ about serious matters or showing stuff that might be a bit too much for younger eyes.
- L: Limited Adult Audience – This one’s a bit tricky, like a bad patch of weather. It’s movies that many adults might find troubling or inappropriate. Even grown folks might find some parts of these movies too much to handle.
- O: Morally Offensive – Now this is where the USCCB really don’t like what’s goin’ on. These movies are the ones with stuff so bad that even a lot of adults would say, “No, I don’t wanna watch that.”
Now, let’s talk about how they do all this. The Office for Film and Broadcasting is the special group set up by the USCCB to watch all them movies. These folks watch the films and decide which category they fit in. But, don’t go thinkin’ that these ratings are like the law or somethin’. Nope. These ratings are just for guidin’ people, not for tellin’ folks what to do. It ain’t like they’re puttin’ out an official decree or anything, just a good ol’ heads-up.
In fact, in July 2022, somethin’ big happened. The Catholic News Service, which used to do these reviews, stopped. They got replaced by OSV News, a new group takin’ over the job. Now, you might be wonderin’, “Why’d they do that?” Well, I reckon times change, and they gotta keep up with how people watch movies these days, what with the internet and all. But don’t you worry none; they’re still lookin’ out for folks, makin’ sure that the movies out there are okay for everyone to watch.
Now, I gotta tell ya, not everyone agrees with these ratings. Some folks say that movies ain’t meant to be judged by a group of people sittin’ in an office. They think if a movie speaks to someone, then it’s good enough, no matter what kind of rating it gets. But that’s the thing with the USCCB’s ratings — they’re just there to help guide folks who wanna make sure the movies they’re watchin’ ain’t gonna lead ’em down the wrong path. They ain’t sayin’ you can’t watch somethin’, just givin’ you a little bit of a road sign to help you decide.
Now, when it comes to the spiritual side of things, well, that’s somethin’ they take seriously too. There’s this group called Busted Halo, and they got a whole section called “Spiritual Side of Cinema.” They take a look at movies not just for how good they are, but for how they line up with Catholic values. It’s like how we look at the weather to see if it’s gonna rain on the crops. If a movie’s got a good message, something that helps folks grow spiritually, that’s a good sign. But if a movie’s got a lot of trouble in it, then that’s like a bad storm comin’.
All this bein’ said, some folks might be a bit skeptical of these movie reviews. I’ve heard tell of people who think that the USCCB is too harsh, or that they’re not takin’ the times into account. But in my view, it’s just like how we protect the young’uns from messin’ with things they ain’t ready for. These movie ratings are there to help guide folks to make the best choices for themselves and their families. It’s like when a neighbor tells ya to watch out for the bad patches of dirt when you’re plantin’ your crops. It’s all about keepin’ folks safe and sound, helpin’ ’em make decisions that’ll bring the best for everyone.
So, if you’re ever wonderin’ what movie to watch, and you want a little help, you can always look at these ratings from the USCCB. It might not tell ya what movie you should or shouldn’t see, but it’ll sure help you figure out what’s gonna be right for you and your family. Ain’t that what we all want? To make sure we’re watchin’ things that bring good things into our lives, not trouble.
Tags：[Catholic Movie Reviews, USCCB Movie Ratings, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Movie Reviews Catholic Perspective, Spiritual Side of Cinema, Catholic News Service]
