麻豆社

From Father Brian D鈥橝rcy a Catholic Passionist priest:

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I was delighted Pope Francis made such a fuss of Philomena Lee when they met in Rome last week. The hit movie 鈥淧hilomena鈥� was based on her life. Philomena Lee became pregnant when she was an immature young teenager. In those puritanical days such a pregnancy was looked upon as a disgrace. She was hidden away in a home run by nuns where she gave birth to her son.

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Philomena had a miserable existence - working long hours in the convent laundry, with only a few moments each day to cuddle her little son. Then one day without warning the nuns took her baby and handed him over to a wealthy American couple who gave a substantial donation to the convent.

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Philomena was devastated.

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Fifty years later, after she married and had a family of her own, she enlisted the help of a journalist, Martin Sixsmith, to help her find her son. The mother and the journalist are completely different characters. Philomena is big鈥揾earted, generous and delights in even the smallest kindness. Her faith in God, despite all that has happened to her, is unshakeable. Martin is more cynical, and has long given up believing. Yet the two develop a warm relationship.

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Eventually the pair discover what happened to Philomena鈥檚 little boy.

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In the film there鈥檚 a key moment when Martin is furious that Philomena can forgive those who wronged her so graciously; to which Philomena poses the unanswerable question: 鈥淎nd what has all your anger accomplished?鈥�

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She assures Martin that life has been hard but her faith in God and the good people she met brought her a deep peace which sustains her to this day. Philomena鈥檚 willingness to count her blessings and to leave the past behind, becomes a model for happiness for the rest of us.

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That鈥檚 why I was delighted Pope Francis and Philomena Lee had such a pleasant meeting. People like her shatter injustice by making the compassion of God utterly tangible.听