……1933, America…..
(Rt. Rev John Timothy McNicholas, Archbishop of Cincinnati to the right)
(Pic found here)
In 1933, Archbishop John McNicholas composed a membership pledge for the Legion. Between nine and eleven million Catholics signed the following pledge:
I wish to join the Legion of Decency, which condemns vile and unwholesome moving pictures. I unite with all who protest against them as a grave menace to youth, to home life, to country and to religion. I condemn absolutely those salacious motion pictures which, with other degrading agencies, are corrupting public morals and promoting a sex mania in our land. … Considering these evils, I hereby promise to remain away from all motion pictures except those which do not offend decency and Christian morality. (Wiki post)
(Bust of the Rt. Rev John Timothy McNicholas)
Where are men like this today? Very, very few!
There are a few: Off the top of my head: Abp. Burke, Bp. Bruskewitz, ….
The Legion of Decency is the most welcome and desperately needed in our days. Strange, but walking today through one of central London’s underground stations and haunted on every corner by habitually indecent ads images I thought about miracle reviving this Legion….
Jay, it would indeed take a miracle, many Catholics don’t listen to the Church on very grave matters, curtailing their entertainment would be seen as “draconian”.
I believe I read somewhere that the part Traditional Baptismal Formula of “renouncing the devil & hie pomps & his works” which while pertaining to evil things in all times, was also specific to the “games”, and “plays” of the Romans. The gladiators, and dramas where seem as direct manifestations of the devil’s pomp. So in the Traditional Baptismal formula the promise seems very close to the Legion of Decency oath.
Tertullian on the devils pomps in the games: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian03.html
Where can I sign up?