There we were—Vic Lactaoen, a fellow writer, and I sniffling because we were crying while watching the film, “There be Dragons,” at the SM Mall of Asia Premiere cinema. Written and directed by Roland Joffe (believed to be an agnostic), the film tells the life of Father Josemaria Escriva (played by British actor Charlie Cox) during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and his escape with members of Opus Dei to Andorra through the Pyrenees mountains which divide Spain and France.
The premiere that day was presented by EduChild (Great Parents, Happy Families). For parenting courses, text Noemi Marasigan at 09l7-8958568 or 0922-8315280.
The synopsis describes the film as “an epic tale of revolutionaries and saints in a time of civil war; a story of love and heroism amid jealousy, hatred and violence; and a heartbreaking drama about the power of forgiveness to break the chains of the past. Fr. Escriva who founded Opus Dei in l928 taught his members: ‘If you forgive someone, you set yourself free.’”
The fictional part of the movie revolves around Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), the childhood friend of the young Josemaria Escriva, whom Manolo had developed a hatred for even as far back as when they were in the seminary together. Fr. Josemaria never gave up on his friend Manolo, visiting him and giving him a Rosary which Manolo kept until he died.
“Ildiko,” a Hungarian rebel, (Olga Kurylenko) falls in love with “Oriol,” the leader of the rebels (Rodrigo Santoro), have a child with him a boy whom Manolo Torres takes away to raise as his own after the civil war, after “Ildiko” dies.
The boy grows up to be Robert Torres (Dougray Scott), London-based investigative journalist who visits Spain to research on the life of Josemaria Escriva. But, Robert hits a wall, both professionally and personally, when his most promising source—his own father, Manolo Torres—refuses to see him or answer his questions.
Robert begins to unearth his father’s dark secrets when he learns that Manolo was not only born in the same Spanish town as Josemaría, but, that they were childhood friends and attended the same seminary.
Different paths
The two men take radically different paths in life with Josemaría becoming a dedicated priest, and Manolo being swept into the brutal and tumultuous Spanish Civil War as a spy. Manolo descends into a dangerous and jealous obsession when the beautiful Hungarian revolutionary Ildiko doesn’t return his affections, but instead gives herself to the courageous military leader, Oriol.
Lito Pagayon, an Opus Dei supernumerary, told me that he has seen the movie four times and he cried every time. What made us cry was the scene when Manolo Torres asks forgiveness from his son, Roberto. Charlie Cox is a very convincing young Father Escriva.
Catch the movie on Nov. 9 when it screens in major theaters.
Blessed Luigi Guanella
On Oct. 23, Blessed Luigi Guanella, Italian priest-founder of the Servants of Charity and the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, will be canonized in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI. He is called “Father of the Poor” by the religious orders he founded.
Guanella was born on Dec. 19, 1842, the ninth of 13 children, to Lorenzo Guanella and Maria Bianchi. When Luigi was seven years old, he had a vision which was almost a prediction of the path he was to follow throughout his life: near the parish church in his community, an old man appeared to him and asked him for the sweets he had in his hand, then suddenly disappeared. This vision made him panic and filled him with regret.
It was to remain a secret of which he only spoke many years later, towards the end of his life on earth. In the spring of 1852, on the day of his first Communion, in the solitude of the heights of Gualdera, he had another vision. This time it was of Our Lady asking him to devote his life to the needy.
In September 1915 he was struck by paralysis from which he was not to recover. Father Luigi passed away from his illness on Oct. 24, 1915 in Como, Italy. He was raised to the honors of the altar and beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
Order of Malta
The Order of Malta will hold the 2011 Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta on October 14 to 16 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Makati.
This conference is geared towards the fulfillment of the Order’s dual charisms: “tuition fidei et obesquium pauperum” (defense of the faith and service to the poor), thus achieving the Order’s vision of unity of purpose, unity of action and spiritual unity in the Pacific region.
The Grand Hospitaller, Baron Albrecht Boeslager, will be the keynote speaker. The delegates are Anthony Macken, president of Australia Order of Malta; Michael Koone, president of Singapore Order; Ambassador James Dominguez, Ambassador David Scarf, Malteser International Secretary General Ingo Radtke, and others.
The Order of Malta Phil will be represented by Ernest Rufino, president, Dr. Jaime Lapus, vice president; Delza Lazatin, conference chairman; Dr Leopoldo Lazatin, cochair, Ambassador Leonida Vera and Odelia G. Arroyo, hospitallers. There will be 15 other observers, both from other Asia Pacific countries and the Philippines.
Dinagat Island church needs help
The Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish Church in Rizal (Basilisa), Dinagat Islands is a mission area geographically located near Surigao on the northeastern part of Mindanao. The people are mostly fishermen and farmers, have no fixed income and with this economic condition, the parish is barely surviving. Their parish church is in need of improvements and repairs. They also need a lifesize statue of their patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer. Readers who are willing to help can text Rev. Fr. Reynaldo B. Floresca at cellphone no. 0928-3746446.
