Posted on 11/27/2006 8:17:25 AM PST by dennisw
Keisha Castle-Hughes has had quite a life so far -- and she's only sixteen. You probably know her as the smiling face of the Whale Rider, which not only earned her an Oscar nomination, but also made her the youngest person ever nominated as a lead actress. Now, she's playing the young Mother Mary in the upcoming The Nativity Story. You've seen the preview right? There's some feet, some shrouded people, and a whole lot of flying dust?
Well, her current role is not what's making waves in the news world: It's her pregnancy. In an epically coincidental case of life immediately imitating art, the young girl is about to follow Mary's footsteps, without the parthenogenesis.* As if a childhood pregnancy isn't enough to deal with, there are competing stories of Papal displeasure. Although the official word is that the Pope has always had other commitments in and never planned to be at the Vatican premiere, other rumblings say otherwise -- that the Pope is quite disapproving of the young girl's un-wed pregnancy.
Personally, I think a minor getting pregnant is a lot more worrisome than it being out of wedlock, but we're talking about religion, not rationality. If the rumors are true, and the Church is pissed about her actions, I would assume they don't know about Catherine Hardwick's other films -- namely Thirteen, with its almost pre-teen sex, drugs and crime.
*Thanks Lauren, for pointing out the misconception about the Immaculate Conception. The Catholic teachings of my youth are obviously foggier than I thought! My apologies.
The Church wouldn't care about the shenanigans in "Thirteen," because the movie has nothing to do with The Greatest Story Ever Told. But it is quite the faux pas to want Church approval of your Nativity movie... and have your jail bait leading lady show up knocked up.
The problem with many Catholics is that learning the faith should not stop with youth.
One should strive to learn something everyday about the Catholic Faith.
It's "Pope Peeved the Fisher Man!"
Post Thanksgiving Pun Alert!
The Catholic teachings of my youth are obviously foggier than I thought! My apologies.No. The teachings of the Church are consistent (I'm a Jew, by the way). It is the reasoning of the writer that is foggy: why should the Vatican be concerned if an actress portrays a role (as in Thirteen)? A real, actual pregnancy would, however, be a problem, not for Church doctrine, but for the young, unwed girl. Why is it somehow wrong for a prelate to express ordinary human concern? And there is nothing wrong with young girls getting pregnant--I presume that the Church wishes more of them would--the Church would prefer, however, that these young mothers be covenanted within loving relationships etc.
Bump for later read.
Why do Entertainment reporters think everyone else follows the minutiae of movie stars' lives just as much as they do? The pope is visiting Turkey, and this guy is wondering if Hollywood is on the papal mind.
Asclepius, what would happen to a pregnant un-wed woman in the middle east say about 2000 years ago? And, she does not know who the father is...humm...
HUH? How old was your typical Gallilean maiden when she married in those days? Sounds like much ado about nothing.
Here's an idea: Why doesn't Castle-Hughes have a well-publicized abortion? Then she will no longer be an unwed, expectant mother. Will that earn church approval?
This is all idiotic. I doubt the Pope is snubbing the movie because an actress involved in the project is showing visible signs of sin. I haven't read any evidence that she's a Catholic or that she adheres to any Christian faith. FCOL!!! If every actor/ actress who ever sinned refrained from working, we'd all be doing a lot more reading, wouldn't we?
Keep casting stones.
She's 16.
It's not about anyone "refraining" from working. It's whether the Pope is going to watch a movie on this subject.
He's probably been busy preparing for his trip.
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