"Skyfall": A Commentary by Fr. Barron (SPOILERS) on Nov 15, 2012 by wordonfirevideo Those who were paying close attention to the minutia of the film’s final act, which takes place at James Bond’s …More
"Skyfall": A Commentary by Fr. Barron (SPOILERS)
on Nov 15, 2012 by wordonfirevideo
Those who were paying close attention to the minutia of the film’s final act, which takes place at James Bond’s ancestral Scottish manor, Skyfall, no doubt noticed that M was led to a "priest hole" in order to escape. Those who were not just observant but curious as well (or those who came into the film with a working knowledge of British religious history) may have discovered that the manor’s handy architectural quirk dated back to the Elizabethan era, a time when the practice of Catholicism was outlawed in Britain.
During this era, families who continued to practice Catholicism were known as ‘recusants’ (having, ostensibly, recused themselves from Anglican services). Naturally, the illegal nature of their religious practice necessitated a certain degree of clandestine dealings, especially when families were not just holding Catholic services, but sheltering Catholic priests (hence the need for a "priest hole"). The presence of a priest hole at Skyfall, then, strongly suggests that its landowners were recusant Catholics, and has led many to the conclusion that James Bond himself is a Catholic.
on Nov 15, 2012 by wordonfirevideo
Those who were paying close attention to the minutia of the film’s final act, which takes place at James Bond’s ancestral Scottish manor, Skyfall, no doubt noticed that M was led to a "priest hole" in order to escape. Those who were not just observant but curious as well (or those who came into the film with a working knowledge of British religious history) may have discovered that the manor’s handy architectural quirk dated back to the Elizabethan era, a time when the practice of Catholicism was outlawed in Britain.
During this era, families who continued to practice Catholicism were known as ‘recusants’ (having, ostensibly, recused themselves from Anglican services). Naturally, the illegal nature of their religious practice necessitated a certain degree of clandestine dealings, especially when families were not just holding Catholic services, but sheltering Catholic priests (hence the need for a "priest hole"). The presence of a priest hole at Skyfall, then, strongly suggests that its landowners were recusant Catholics, and has led many to the conclusion that James Bond himself is a Catholic.