The Church and the Theatre

The opinion of various individual Catholics, whether clergy or laity, is not the equivalent of Church teaching. As such, it is fallible and can fall victim to common prejudice of its day.

Early condemnations of the theatre and actors owed itself mainly to the common theme of immorality in many productions. Leaders in the faith community, both clergy and laity, saw the theatre culture as opposed to Christian values. This was combined with the general idea that actors were essentially “skilled liars” which made performers morally suspect in all areas of life in the eyes of their fellow countrymen.

Even today there are lively debates about the influence of “Hollywood” on culture and the bad moral example of individuals within the acting industry.

Over time the attitude of individuals within the Church towards the theatre softened and by the 18th century playhouses were able to be established in Rome with Papal sanction. It became understood and accepted that the medium is different from the message and that the theatre could exist within moral bounds and actors were not more liable to lie offstage.

Today we judge theatrical productions individually by the message each production attempts to convey. Acting is seen as a legitimate profession and its morality is dependent also upon the message conveyed by the particular role. After all, Saint Pope John Paul II was an actor in his early life!