#catholic anime

[all-hail-trudos]

Luce-chan and Frieren would be great friends.

Artwork by @Feeyaowo on Twitter!

Reposted with permission! Please support the og artist!

[animechristi]

Princess Mononoke: Human-Divine Relations

I give this work to the blessed Mother to set before our Lord.

Job 1:21 “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Info: Princess Mononoke is a 1997 movie by Studio Ghibli, which was released in the US in 1999. It takes place in Japan sometime in the Muromachi period.

Spoilers: If you haven’t seen it go watch it, and perhaps even read this before watching it so you can judge if I’m accurate or off my rocker.

Also, just a heads up, this is one of Ghibli’s more violent films with some warrior’s getting their arms cut off, etc. Just be aware of that before you unreservedly show it to little kids thinking it’s Totoro part II.

Why is it so good?

            Because Miyazaki isn’t making the argument “nature = good; industry = bad.” Instead, I suggest he’s showing us what it means for human society to have a proper relationship with divinity. His microcosm for this is Ashitaka, who is then juxtaposed with people like Lady Eboshi, and San. The wisdom in having Ashitaka as an outsider is that he gets to be a tertium quid that both sides think is “our guy.” The result is that at the end of the movie we aren’t left with a pithy black and white lesson like “mankind will never outlast or out do nature” but rather the uneasiness that while there are indeed forces greater than mankind at work, mankind will still continue to work – for better or worse.

First theme: Divine Providence

            Although perhaps that last theme to be grasped while watching the movie, I want to start with the theme of Divine Providence. This theme comes to the forefront when the Boar clan, led by old boar Okkoto, comes to the forest to declare their attack on Iron Town and meets our MC Ahistaka. When the boars are told how Ashitaka was attacked by the previous boar guardian Nago, who had turned into a demon, they don’t believe him at first. Especially when they hear that the forest spirit healed Ashitaka’s bullet wound but did nothing – and does nothing for the forest in its time of need.

Nago as a corrupted boar. If your boar ever looks like this, call an exorcist.

We see here the problem that has plagued countless hearts from the dawn of time: If there is a being who is allegedly all-powerful and respected as morally good and protecting all things, then why doesn’t he/she/it act in our time of need? Any character in Princess Mononoke could ask such questions: Why would the young and strong Nago be corrupted into a demon, why would such an old boar like Okkoto remain for such a big battle? Why would the forest spirit heal Ashitaka’s bullet wound but not his cursed arm? Why did the forest spirit kill Okkoto rather than heal him and Moro who were dying? If the forest spirit was close to wiping out Iron Town when searching for his head, why didn’t he wipe it out before Eboshi killed him? And the list could go on and on.

The problem of evil, or theodicy, in the bible is most clearly seen in Job’s struggle. Painting by Leon Bonnat.

Keep in mind, however, that Miyazaki has no intention of portraying a Christian world and so comparisons I make will be stretched a little. With that in mind, perhaps we can still see Miyazaki wrestling with the idea that God can bring a greater good out of any suffering. The happy circumstances at the end of the film only come about because of Ashitaka’s curse, Okkoto’s rage, San’s rebellion, Eboshi’s attempted deicide, and Iron Town’s environmental exploitation. Not everything is as everyone would want it. We see this in Eboshi rebulding, and San continuing to live in the forest. Yet there seems to be a sense that maybe everything is indeed as the forest spirit wants it. Much could be said about this, but we’ll stop here for now.

Second theme: being nice =/= being good

            Our second theme is displayed in Lady Eboshi’s character. We are introduced to her not as the dictator of Iron Town, but rather its beloved matriarch. She buys out the brothel girls’ contracts and gives them honest work in the iron factory. She employs lepers who would have otherwise been left destitute. She wants the women of the town to be able to defend themselves. In all respects it seems she’s a selfless woman. It seems, but sadly it’s not the case. The subtlety is that all this is done to further her own plans. Make no mistake. I fully support her intention of getting women out of the brothel and giving the lepers honest work. But her prior intention seems to be that all these people are meant to work for her and that there is nothing, no higher power, no higher authority, beyond Lady Eboshi. We see this clearly in her understanding of the spiritual and sacred when she proclaims “I’m going to show you how to kill a god, the trick is not to fear him.” The ignorance – as if spiritual creatures could “die” – comes from her lack of piety or fear of the Lord, which, as we know “is the beginning of wisdom” (Pro 9:10).

Eboshi employs lepers to make her weapons.

Ashitaka on the other hand is shown not only to respect the spiritual world, but is also aware of the role the spiritual plays within the material. He knows where humans should be in the grand scheme of things. This is why he can prioritize the lives of Iron Town’s people in battle, but also tries to dissuade them from advancing any further. As I mentioned before, we see the other extreme in San’s character. San identifies so much with the forest spirits that she almost rejects being human. There’s a moment when she tries to kill Ashitaka and while holding her back he says “you’re beautiful.” We might say it’s the affirmation of her humanity – in contrast to her demonization by the townspeople – that starts to change San’s way of thinking.

San embraces her exclusion from human society and is treated as a demoniac by the people of Iron Town. Perhaps her predicament mirrors the Gerasene Demoniac’s more than we think?

Honorable Mentions (aka but wait – there’s more!)

There is always more to say, but I’ll leave you with four extra foods for thought.

The West

At the beginning we hear from Ashitaka’s village that the west is where bad things come from e.g. the boar demon. But the west is also the place of the forest spirit. It’s interesting that in order to be healed, to reach the place of the gods, one also needs to go through adversity.

Death

Moro, aka “Mother Wolf,” claims that Nago (demon boar) was corrupted because he feared death. Moro herself has been injured by an iron slug but isn’t corrupted precisely because she doesn’t fear death.

Marriage

When Moro tells San about Ashitaka’s proposal she says “he would share his life with you.” A short line that cuts to the heart of marriage. And we can see why San – who has never lived with other humans – would be afraid of such a thing.

Anger -> Stupidity

Moro tells San the humans are purposefully enraging the Boar clan so that in their anger they will become stupid. Sadly, it works. We’re reminded here that to be patience – which is the opposite of angry – is to suffer.

Much more could be said, but for now let’s spend some time appreciating the invisible realities around us.

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

[carolinatsversion]

aesthetistt

[iyokko]

✦ portrait of a cardinal ✦

hello!!! long time no see. today i bring my second piece of fan art for @canisalbus !!

i just got back from a 9-day trip in italy, and all i could think about was our favourite tragic catholic gay dogs. especially in churches or near the vatican. as someone with my roots from sicily, it was an incredible trip to go on. i throughly enjoyed looking at the architecture and art all around me.

machete is not in his full-red cardinal attire here (which makes the title of this essentially a lie), but shhh. that can be our little secret.

looking to start posting again since school’s over now!! huzzah.

[canisalbus]

Vasco would be lift off by a particularly strong gust of wind because his big ears, but he would ride the winds gracefully.

Machete would be lift off by a particularly strong gust of wind because his flimsy but fluffy stature, and he would roll like catholic tumbleweed with no grace, only guilt.

#nograce #onlyguilt

[hyperjerk]

I can't believe the power of God and Anime is real!

Luce, the Vatican's surprise new mascot, I couldn't resist, so I guess it's working!

[animepopheart]

★ 【haraya】 「 Vampire Hunter 」 ☆ ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me on twitter // bsky

[queerorthodoxy]

If you're going to be a Christian you need to acknowledge its history of violence and colonization so you do not continue the violence!!!!

[jaheracat]

[horseimagebarn]

horses ridden by a team of four humans dressed like nuns the horses are dressed in a similar fashion with long black jackets with gold trim and white hats to mimic a serre tete while each horse is dressed in an identical fashion they each have a different colored bridle allowing them to maintain their individuality during the interesting yet unknown event they are participating in

[animechristi]

Ranking of Kings: Hell and Demons

Offered to Jesus through Mary

Matthew 22:13 “Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Spoilers?

No big spoilers this time around. I’ll refer to one scene and one character out of context, but that’s all. If this whets your appetite for the show then go ahead and watch it. If not, then still give it a try. It’s a good show that keeps you hooked. Not to mention the second opening is a banger.

Our Topic

Towards the end of the show, we’re shown a depiction of hell where the souls of the damned are eaten, regurgitated, reformed, and then eaten again ad infinitum. If this reminds you of Dante’s Inferno, you’re not alone. Also, good job! Being well-read in literature guarantees you pick up on all the inside jokes and references people make. Setting aside the early Italian renaissance – what’s important here is that Hell isn’t just a fiery time out corner. The damned aren’t just thrown into Hell. They are actively punished while in Hell and they’ll be in Hell forever. This should properly terrify us. If we think the “sweet release of death” frees us from all our problems, we may be in for a rude awakening.

The unnamed demon eating someone’s soul.

But before we get too gloomy, let’s take a step back. Ranking of Kings did a good job showing us how horrific hell is. But if this article is going to serve a purpose, we should see how someone ends up in Hell. We could say ultimately this is done by rejecting salvation through Christ. That’s the general answer. For specific answers we can look at all the various ways someone separates himself from Christ. For now, I’d like to focus only on one way: pacts with devils. If we believe the rising statistics of people claiming to worship pagan gods, then we shouldn’t be surprised that more people – knowingly or unknowingly – are entering into pacts or contracts with devils.  

In Ranking of Kings things are comically straightforward. Miranjo, a young woman, has made a pact with a demon who tells her upfront “when you die, I’ll devour your soul”. We might dismiss this and say “she was desperate, and it was for the sake of the plot.” That’s fine with me. I’m not trying to prove or disprove her character. Pay attention to what the demon says. It’s simplistic, sure, but the pact made between Miranjo and the demon demonstrates truths about our spiritual warfare this side of Heaven. Contracts are a two-way street. Each party does something for or to the other. But this doesn’t mean both sides are equal. In making a pact or contract with a demon, a human places himself under that creature’s power structure in the hopes that one metaphysically higher than himself can achieve what he cannot.

Christ casting out demons

Here’s the catch. Demons cannot guarantee their side of the bargain. All their actions are confined by the permissive will of God. They serve the father of lies, so why should we believe anything they promise?

Alternatively, the Paschal Mystery of Christ is what establishes a new covenant (i.e. contract) between God and mankind. In Baptism we die and rise with Christ. This takes us out from the domain and power structure of sin and death and places us in our Heavenly Father’s house. Only by our own free choices do we find ourselves outside such divine protection.

Okay, so what?

I don’t expect many readers to have experimented with occult practices. Again, good job! But regardless of our history, I want to recommend a simple practice: repeating the renunciations made at our Baptism. It’s a small way of reminding ourselves who exactly we’ve put our trust and hope in. Let us firmly say I do to the follow.

Do you renounce Satan?

And all his works?

And all his empty show?

Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

[neo--queen--serenity]

The Black Butler revival will, of course, in this day and age, be the complete embodiment of pro-ship vs. anti-ship discourse, given the subject matter.

But for those of you who are watching this for the first time in 2024 (which includes myself!), there are certain things about the show you simply must understand, for the sake of media literacy.

The first is that Black Butler is supernatural gothic romanticism at its core. This genre alone should tell you that the relationships integral to the plot will be complex, messy, and toxic, by default. That is not only a huge part of this genre’s appeal, but very much the point of the story.

The themes are dark, the terrible things that happen to the main characters are dark, and therefore the relationships at the forefront (and in the background) will reflect that.

The gothic genre has been alluringly popular for over a century (longer, if you know your history) because audiences are entranced by the macabre, the tainted antiheroes, the monsters who live inside us all. It’s popular for a reason.

That being said, understand that whether you, the viewer, ship Sebastian and Ciel or not is irrelevant. Their bond doesn’t need to be understood as romantic or sexual, but it sure as hell isn’t normal. It isn’t healthy. And the audience knows that. That’s the draw. It’s what makes them compelling to watch.

Ciel and Sebastian’s relationship mirrors many gothic novels, poems, and penny dreadfuls written in the Victorian Era (the very same time period in which Kuroshitsuji takes place). The Victorian folks who read these tales for the first time ate that shit up, because it was tantalizing. It was shocking. It was inappropriate, and monstrous, and violent, and erotic, and went against societal norms. But that was the point.

A huge part of gothic romanticism is the blatant sexualization of the relationship between the “monstrous” characters and their human counterparts in the story. Sex itself doesn’t need to take place for their bond to be sexually charged. The forbidden nature of their relationship—which typically involves layers of social taboos, moral ambiguity, or simple infatuation—is what makes their interactions erotic. Sexual contact rarely ever actually happens in these stories. It’s the taboo nature of their bond that creates the tension.

One of the many reasons audiences love this genre is the constant question of morality in its themes. Who, between them, is the real monster? Could the human character have ever been saved? This genre is often associated with tragedy, because the bond forged between the characters in these stories are destined to end in death and destruction. The reader knows it can’t end any other way. How can it?

But an integral element of these gothic tales is the catharsis that comes with this tragedy. The corrupted human often gets what they want in the end, even if it’s at the cost of their own life. Whether they regret their choice to foster this monstrous relationship varies on the story, but it doesn’t change the trajectory of their descent.

Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is the whole plot of Black Butler. Their closeness bears a grotesque ick factor, but it is deliberate. It is a constant reminder of how unnatrual their bond truly is. Rationalizing or watering down how abnormal they are about each other misses the point entirely. They will never have a normal, healthy relationship, and that’s what moves the plot forward.

That’s why you’re watching it.

[carolinatsversion]

nn0730nn

[canisalbus]

✦ Milk and Honey ✦

[mismaxx]

Officially got the power of god and anime on my side.

Ngl Luce a cute!