His speech was fluid and open and drew the small group of students seated around him into his world with the ease of a man who tells stories for a living. The Jesuit, known for his many forays into the media and his work as editor at America magazine, gave his second talk of the weekend. While his lecture the night prior had focused on the unity of the human and the divine natures of Jesus, the second presentation addressed his recent work on the Martin Scorsese film Silence.
When Father Martin discussed the movie Silence, he spoke of it with the reverence an artist would give to a masterwork. The discussion began with Fr. Martin describing the roles he played on the film’s set, which ranged from switching dialogue and prayers to their more Jesuit-like analogs to mentoring actor Andrew Garfield in the ways of Jesuit spirituality. He spoke with special fondness about the relationship he formed with Garfield, who began the film with only a basic understanding of Christianity. Fr. Martin described the joy of watching Garfield discover the Gospels and the fervor with which Garfield took to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Their work together culminated with Fr. Martin, in Jesuit fashion, missioning Garfield to act in the film’s leading role, as Father Rodrigues, a moment that was emotionally touching for both the actor and Fr. Martin.
The talk soon moved to discussing the film itself and its reception. Fr. Martin described the difficulty the film found in connecting with audiences due to its subject matter. For those who were unreligious, the decision to apostatize, which the film hinged upon, lacked the gravity needed to empathize with the seventeenth-century Jesuits. For those who were religious, Fr. Rodrigues’s ultimate decision to renounce his faith was difficult to understand, even though a clearly divine intervention informed Rodrigues’s decision. Fr. Martin saw the latter group’s difficulty with the film as especially troubling and representative of the state of the Church today, where a black and white mentality leaves little room for individual discernment. He praised Pope Francis for what he sees as the turn towards discernment at the Vatican and hopes the Church at large will embrace discernment as it moves towards the future.
At the conclusion of the discussion, small groups formed organically to discuss what they had heard. Amid the hubbub of dishes making their return journey to the kitchen and the group photos, Fr. Martin moved from group to group. As he mingled, the Jesuit addressed students’ questions about Silence, spirituality and the current state of the Church—answering all inquiries with empathetic warmth and authenticity. Only after most guests had left did Fr. Martin grab his bags, thank Father Bob and begin his return journey to New York.
To view Fr. Martin's lecture on the unity of the human and the divine natures of Jesus, visit stm.yale.edu/fellowships.
