MovieChat Forums > Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005) Discussion > Priest Rabbi Question

Priest Rabbi Question

posted 19 years ago by Monkeyguy39
4 replies | jump to latest

In the very beginning of the movie when Father Merrin is in WWII and the Natzis are taking over that town. And the leader Natzi calls Father Merrin out and he asks him if he has given confession for these people, and father merrin says yes.

Now i'm not sure exactly but aren't those people Jewish?
And isn't Father Merrin a Catholic/Christain preist?
Why would he be a preist for Jewish people?

Is there something i'm missing, i just was curious, is that allowed?

If anyone can answer that would be great?

[–] stefanrops 19 years ago

Let me tell you this first: the nazi leader was played by a guy (Antonie Kamerling) which is from the same country as me: Holland. Pretty funny to see a soap actor in a Hollywood movie, in 2 hollywood movies to be correct.

I believe the part of Merrin traumatic experience was in 1944.
It was impossible to have such a large group of Jews on street. At that time Jews were deported to concentration camps and the ones which were still in town kept themselves hidden from those evil nazis.
So these people weren't Jews. But are the catholic of christian?
Well, the south of Holland is catholic en the middle and north are christian. During the 80 year during war (also known as the Resistance 1560-1640) the south was still under control of the catholic Spanish while the north had become christian. So it's the question if the incident took place in a town in the south or in the middle/north of Holland. I believe this question is unanswerable.
Right, but I believe he was catholic. Why? I'm not sure if it happens in Dominion but in The Beginning there is a book against exorcism. This book must have been written in the dark ages which was before 1517 so before Luther started his christian movement. Christians don't believe in stuff like exorcism I believe but I may be wrong.

Still I would put my money in CATHOLIC.

[–] sonofthealmighty 19 years ago

There are some simple ways you can tell that he is in fact catholic. First off, since you mentioned The Beginning, the other priest came from the Vatican, the Papal State in Rome. Another major clue is in just the fact that he is known as Fr. Merrin. Only catholics refer to their priests as Father (and possible even call them priests).

[–] dshaw-7 19 years ago

Re: "Priest/Father" title. This isn't quite right. I'm Episcopalian, and we very often call our priests "Father" (or Mother, is she's a woman). Because we are Anglicans, we continue to use many of the terms that Roman Catholics use, even if we are not in communion with Rome.

[–] McGivney 19 years ago

Father Merrin is Catholic and his church is a Catholic one.

The Nazis are interested in finding who killed their soldier, not in taking any of the citizens to camps because they're Jewish. The Nazi officer asks Fr. Merrin if he takes the town's confessions because whoever killed their soldier would be sure to confess it, as murder is a mortal sin, and thus Merrin would know who the killer was. However, priests cannot reveal anything that is told to them in confession to anyone - so we don't know if Merrin knew who the killer was or not. The Nazis didn't like that answer, so they forced Merrin's hand.

Basically, Nazis were equal-opportunity *beep* to anyone who got in their way.