Hand of God
Hand of God
| 03 April 2007 (USA)
Hand of God Trailers

In recent decades, more than 10,000 children reportedly were sexually abused by Catholic priests in the US. From behind the headlines, filmmaker Joe Cultrera tells the very personal story of how the crisis affected his family. It is the intimate story of how his brother, Paul, was molested in the 1960s by a priest who also reportedly abused nearly 100 other children. In an emotional film, the Cultrera family tells their story of faith betrayed.

Reviews
Exoticalot

People are voting emotionally.

... View More
Micah Lloyd

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

... View More
Jerrie

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

... View More
Darin

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

... View More
Irishchatter

I've seen this on the PBS site and I just had to check it out because I am interested in the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal throughout the world really and this came up when I researched this on Google so thats when I decided to give it a watch yknow! Paul was so brave for telling his story on what happened to him and the fact, his brother Joe made this documentary especially for him, this makes the documentary even more special. I felt very sorry for their poor parents who just found out in recent years that poor Paul was sexually abused by that priest. I respected that they still are going to Catholic church but like, it was priest who abused their son, like even if they were brought up to the catholic church, then why still go? I'm not going to bother mentioning the priests name but I am glad he died leaving his guilt in his grave. Joe was brave for standing up for his brother to that office where Paul first reported the abuse. I would've loved to have seen that priest who called Joe " A sad little man" to have p*ssed his pants and just have him bring to the ground so hell never step on this earth again. I wonder if that priest is alive today actually? I bet he'll have the best horrible years of his life until he hits the grave in which i hope will happen soon enough!Very good documentary, well done Joe and Paul Cultrera for telling this story!

... View More
EW-3

Just saw this for the first time, and thought it was well done. I was raised a Catholic, but stopped going to mass in my early 20s. I later converted to the Episcopal Church ("Catholic Lite" as it is sometimes known) in my 30s, when our children were born. I like the Episcopal Church very much because it has all the trappings of the RCC, but does not seem to be a cesspool of mean nuns or (at least I've never seen it) child-abusing priests. I can very much relate to this documentary, as it is 100% right in how the RCC indoctrinates children from a very young age about how they have the monopoly on virtue, and how you have no chance at salvation without them, even though there is not one word in the Bible to support such an idea. I must add, however, that it took me a long time to get past that "One True Church" mantra we would hear in Sunday school. The RCC is a very well-established institution that preys on naïve and dependent people. Walking away from it is not easy.I believe that is how the abuse starts. The RCC parishioners (mostly working class) learn to be obedient to the Church and clergy. From there, it's easy for clergy with the tendency for pedophilia and ill intent to find their victims.I myself never experienced such abuse (thank God), but there WAS a priest in my parish who years later was charged with abusing several boys. Once at around age 14 or so, I was at a party with family and some other parishioners, and this priest happened to be there. At one point, he playfully poked me in the belly and say "Hey, good-looking!". It was a harmless gesture, but upon reflection, it was not surprising to learn years later that this same priest would be charged with sexually abusing minors.I very much like how this documentary revealed this ugly story, and I very much hope and pray the main subject of this documentary finds peace with himself.

... View More
rxmichalow

I am sure I will get bashed for writing this, as the subject matter is "sensitive." For some reason, when a movie is made like this, people will never say anything bad. Hence the dead guy syndrome; yes the dead guy syndrome, ya know, he beat his wife, stole from his mother, killed his neighbor's dog, and we can't say any of that, cause we have to honor this son of a bitch. Finally to my point. While I appreciate the subject matter, I will not pretend that it in anyway disguises how horrible this movie was. It was poorly planned and scripted, it was horribly produced, and some parts of the dialogue were so awful, that it made even such a touchy subject as this, comical. I am sorry Mister Joe Cultrera for what happened to your brother, but if you really wanted to make a statement, than hiring a ghost writer, and writing a non-fiction would have been the route. I don't mean to be to harsh, but I rented this movie knowing the subject matter, and totally believing that this would be an enthralling, can't put down story. I actually stopped watching it after a half hour, and put on the rest later that night as I fell asleep on the couch.So the rumor is Mister Cutrera is planning another doc, please do yourself a favor and stay home. What ever incredibly important subject matter you have come across, that you feel is so urgent that needs to be shared with the world; call Chris Hanson so the viewers can actually enjoy it, and message gets out there. This topic is very close to home for myself, and I apologize for being harsh. I am just very disappointed that this movie, on this topic, was so poorly put together.

... View More
ljeanes-1

Thank you to Joe Cultrera for having the love of the camera which produced this excellent but subtle documentary. You and your brother, Paul, discovered in the making of this film, what the strength of the family is all about.I watched this documentary on PBS tonight and was swept into the 1966 era when the same questions, although not sexually motivated, made me decide to step back from the church and question its decisions that are made for individuals through the smoke of incense. Paul and Joe have made such a large statement it has not yet begun to unfold. I met a young man in WI who had been in the same circumstance and around a campfire the terrible truths again came out. Thank you for making the story a story for all people involved. My most staunch Catholic friends--those who were taught not to question--are questioning because of what Paul and Joe have done. You are heroes. Thank you.

... View More