"If everyone were as harshly critical as that Archbishop, Hollywood films would lose all creativity. Such unfounded interference limits filmmakers' creative freedom, causing films to avoid serious social, political, and moral issues, thereby greatly reducing their authenticity, artistry, and entertainment value..."
Though it wasn't his first time reading it, Archbishop Marcos Costello couldn't help but boil with anger every time he saw the statements from Hollywood's major guild representatives criticizing the Catholic Church.
"Ungrateful bastards!"
Had it not been for his current position, Archbishop Marcos Costello might have shouted out loud. If it weren't for the censorship by the 'Catholic League of Decency' in the last century, would Hollywood have developed into the dominant force it is today?
Despite his thoughts, he recognized that in today's Hollywood, liberalism ran rampant. If the Catholic Church wanted to establish its reputation in the lost region of Southern California, strong measures were necessary.
So, even though Hollywood had pushed back, Archbishop Marcos Costello had been preparing to voice his own rebuttal ever since he saw Murphy Stanton's interview with The Hollywood Reporter yesterday.
Someone entered the office and respectfully said, "Everything is ready, Your Excellency."
"Good."
Archbishop Marcos Costello stood up, adjusted his clothing in front of the mirror, and followed the person out of the office into a large conference room next door. The room was already set up with cameras, and a Catholic-friendly social news outlet was prepared to broadcast his statement.
Since yesterday, numerous voices questioning the Catholic Church had emerged in the media, not just in California but across the entire United States. Over the past decade, the Catholic Church's influence in America had been waning, except for a few regions in the Northeast. It could no longer easily interfere with secular matters as it once did decades ago.
Archbishop Marcos Costello had discussed this matter with the Archbishop overseeing the Catholic Church in America, who supported his approach.
"Right this way, Your Excellency."
Someone led Archbishop Marcos Costello to the camera. A clerical staff member handed him a script.
After glancing at the script and getting the go-ahead from the media representative, Archbishop Marcos Costello began his statement.
He laid the script flat on the table in front of him, stood upright before the microphone, and said, "Currently, the Hollywood film 'Diego Rose,' directed by Murphy Stanton, has caused significant controversy, leading to physical and verbal conflicts between fans and Catholic believers. The Southern California Diocese is very concerned about this."
Glancing at the camera, Archbishop Marcos Costello continued, "The film 'Diego Rose' contains numerous inaccuracies that violate religious ethics and insult the feelings of the faithful. I call on the faithful to fully boycott this film."
"This film contains many scenes that conflict with and insult Catholic doctrine. The Archdiocese of America is considering sending a letter to all regions, advising the faithful not to watch this film."
Archbishop Marcos Costello coughed lightly to clear his throat and continued, "Diego Rose will be a test of your faith. The faithful must remain steadfast in their beliefs, heed the Church's teachings, and not be swayed by these fictional portrayals. The faithful should pray more to strengthen their faith and ward off temptation."
He specifically mentioned, "The faithful should help those who have been misled to properly view this film and promote the true spirit and teachings of the Catholic Church to correct public opinion."
The brief media statement ended, and Archbishop Marcos Costello nodded to the media staff before returning to his office. The media interview, however, continued as two devout Catholic believers entered the interview area.
"Many of the faithful have been following and discussing this matter," said a middle-aged white man, "We believe the film's content is fictional and insults and distorts our sacred faith. We will firmly resist it. It's unacceptable to hurt so many believers' feelings with fictional and misleading content, and the broad community of believers will oppose it!"
Next, a dark-skinned woman spoke into the camera, "The content of 'Diego Rose' is obviously fictional. No one would believe it reflects reality. However, after watching the film, people's understanding of the sanctity of Catholicism is undoubtedly weakened, causing a certain degree of negative impact."
The media team quickly finished recording these segments, and the head of the media team instructed, "Send this back for necessary processing immediately. The Archbishop wants it on the evening news!"
The media crew began working at top speed.
"Why didn't we get the believer who directly clashed with Murphy Stanton's fan?" the media head curiously asked the diocese's spokesperson as they left. "Having him would have made a bigger impact."
The spokesperson shook his head, "Initially, we couldn't reach him. Later, we found him through his priest, but he declined our invitation, saying he was afraid of being attacked by Murphy Stanton's numerous fans."
Later, at a Starbucks in West Hollywood, a man wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap walked in. He appeared to be in his early twenties, dressed in a gray jacket that matched his unremarkable appearance, blending into the crowd.
He looked around the café, which was not very crowded, and saw the person he was looking for in the far corner.
"One cappuccino..." He pointed to the corner to the barista. "Send it over there."
After ordering, he scanned the area cautiously, seeing nothing unusual. He then quickly walked to the corner and sat down opposite the person he was looking for.
"Mr. Rodriguez..." The person across from him looked up, "You're late."
Rodriguez replied, "The cab I called got stuck in traffic."
The barista brought over the cappuccino and politely asked, "Anything else, sir?"
"No, that's all." Rodriguez waved him off, "I'll call if I need anything."
Once the barista left, Rodriguez took off his cap and sipped his coffee.
The person across the table noticed the bruises on Rodriguez's face and asked, "Have you been to church recently?"
"Every week," Rodriguez said devoutly. "It's my spiritual anchor."
The person knew Rodriguez only appeared to be a devout Catholic and smiled, "Want to make some more money?"
"Make more money?" Rodriguez's eyes darted around before he shook his head, pointing to the bruises on his face, "I'm still recovering from last time. Another round, and Murphy Stanton's fans might kill me!"
Remembering the crazy woman on the beach, he still felt a chill. Murphy Stanton's fans were crazier than the most fanatical Catholic believers!
"This time, we're not asking you to attack anyone." The person said calmly, "Just upload a video of yourself online, calling on Catholics to attack Murphy Stanton and his film 'Diego Rose.'"
After a moment of thought, the person added, "And Hollywood as well."
Rodriguez sipped his coffee, puzzled, "Hollywood too?"
"Don't you find Hollywood annoying?"
The person maintained a pro-Catholic stance, "In the past decade, we've seen films like 'The Da Vinci Code,' 'Doubt,' 'Angels & Demons,' and 'Diego Rose,' all attacking the Catholic Church and promoting negative information about it. Shouldn't they be criticized?"
From the perspective of a devout and pure Catholic, Hollywood certainly deserved criticism. But Rodriguez knew he only looked like a devout Catholic.
"Hollywood does deserve criticism," Rodriguez agreed, then suddenly asked, "Are you from the Catholic Church?"
The person smiled but said nothing, which Rodriguez took as confirmation.
Rodriguez sighed, "Uploading a video would make me recognizable. I've already been beaten once. I don't want Murphy Stanton's fans attacking me again."
"Afterwards, you can go abroad for a while," the person suggested slyly, "How about the Vatican?"
Hearing this, Rodriguez felt tempted.
Although he had no real connection to Catholicism, the opportunity to go to the Vatican was appealing and wouldn't cost much.
Seeing Rodriguez's interest, the person raised the stakes, "The pay this time is double what you got last time!"
"Really?" Rodriguez couldn't believe his ears, "Double the last amount?"
"Of course!" The person spread his hands, "I can pay you a third upfront as a deposit. And have I ever short-changed you? We've had a good working relationship."
Rodriguez bit his lip, thought for a moment, then pounded his fist on the table, "Alright! I'll do it!"
Uploading a video denouncing Murphy Stanton and Hollywood films wasn't difficult!
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