Some call it a glamorous dummy, others – a deep, aesthetically outstanding film. Why is the series about the youngest pontiff in the history of the Vatican, the eccentric 47-year-old Lenny Bellardo causes such different emotions? We asked experts, priest and psychologist, share our impression.
A literal translation of the name of the Young Pope of
the Italian director Paolo Sorrentino “Young Dad” makes you think that this is a story about a man who becomes a parent. Oddly enough, in a sense, it is. Only it is not about physical paternity in the series, but about metaphysical.
Lenny Bellardo, who at one time refused his mother and father, handing him to the shelter, completely unexpectedly for himself becomes a spiritual father for a billion Catholics. Will he be able to be the embodiment of the law, genuine authority? How to dispose of its boundless power?
The series forces us to ask a lot of questions: what does it mean to really believe? What does it mean to be a saint? Does all power corrupts?
Some of these topics we asked to comment on the priest, psychologist, Surdopedagog, dean of the psychological faculty of the Moscow Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian of the Russian Orthodox University Petra Kolomeytsev and psychologist Maria Razlogova.
“Young Pope” (The Young Pope), 2016 (season 1)
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Jude Lowe, Diane Kiton, Silvio Orlando, Javier Kamara and others.
“We are all responsible for our injuries”
Peter Kolomeytsev, priest:
“Young Dad” is not about the Catholic Church and not about intrigues in the Roman curia, where power structures are opposed to each other. This is a film about a very lonely person who, having survived a serious psychological trauma in childhood, at 47 becomes an absolute lord. After all, the power of the pope, unlike the power of modern monarchs or presidents, is almost unlimited. And such power is received by a person, in general, not very ready for it.
At first, Lenny Belardo looks like a bully and adventurer – especially against the background of other cardinals with their impeccable manners and behavior. But soon we notice that Pope Pius XIII in his shocking behavior is more sincere and sincere than they, liar and hypocrites.
They are torn to power, and he too. But he has no mercantile considerations: he sincerely seeks to change the existing state of affairs. Having become a victim of betrayal and deception in childhood, he wants to create an atmosphere of honesty.
Much in his behavior outrages others, but his doubt looks in the most shocking in faith. Note that none of the heroes of the series of these doubts expresses these doubts. And we suddenly understand that those who have no doubt, many of them have no faith either. More precisely, like this: either they are just cynics, or they are so used to faith as something routine and compulsory, which is no longer reflected on this occasion. For them, this question is not tormenting, not relevant.
It is very important for him to understand: is God or not? Because if God is, if he hears him, then Lenny is not alone
But Lenny Belardo is constantly solving this issue in torment. It is very important for him to understand: is God or not? Because if God is, if he hears him, then Lenny is not alone. He is with God. This is the strongest line in the film.
The rest of the heroes decide their earthly affairs as much as possible, and they are all here on earth, like a fish in water. If God is, then He is infinitely far from them, and they do not try to build their relationship with him. And Lenny is tormented by this issue, he wants this relationship. And we see that he has these relationships with God. And this is the first conclusion that you want to draw: faith in God is not faith in rituals and magnificent ceremonies, it is a faith in His living presence, in everynical relationship with him.
Several times the pope of Pius XIII different heroes of the series call the Holy. The fact that the ascetic is an absolute lord, a holy man whom the authorities do not corrupt, does not surprise me, on the contrary, it seems very natural. History knows many examples: an amazing ascetic was the Serbian Primate Pavel. Metropolitan Anthony, the head of our foreign Surozh diocese in England, was completely holy man.
That is, generally speaking, this is the norm – so that the church leads the holy. A person unbeliever, cynical any power will corrupt. But if a person is looking for a relationship with God and asks the questions: “Why – I?”, “Why me?”, And” What is he in this case expect from me?” – such a person does not corrupt, but educates.
Lenny, as a person, sincerely understands that he has a huge responsibility. There is no one to share it with. This burden of obligations forces him to change and work on himself. He grows up, becomes less categorical.
One of the most interesting moments in the series is when the soft and limp cardinal Guteres is suddenly accepted to argue with him and in the end dad says that he is ready to change his point of view. And those who surround him are also gradually changing – with his behavior he creates a situation for their growth. They begin to listen to him, it is better to understand him and others.
On this path of growing up, Lenny makes mistakes, sometimes tragic. At the beginning of the series, he is so immersed in his loneliness that he simply does not notice others. If he is faced with a problem, he thinks that, having removed a person, this problem will easily solve. And when it turns out that with his actions he provokes a chain of tragic events, dad realizes that it is impossible to solve problems and not notice the people who are behind them. He begins to think about others.
And this allows us to draw another important conclusion: a person is responsible not only for his subordinates, but also for his own injuries. As they say, “a doctor, healed himself”. We are obliged, entering into a relationship with other people, to learn to work on ourselves, resorting to therapy, if necessary, to the help of a psychologist, priest. Just so as not to harm others. After all, everything that happens to us is not without our participation. It seems to me that the series “Young Dad” translates this idea, and in a concentrated form.
“Dad’s life is an endless search for contact with an inaccessible object.”
Maria Razlogova, Psychologist:
The hero Juda Low is very pleasant to observe. The decisive actions of an extravagant cardinal, which by the will of the chance stood at the head of the Roman Catholic Church and decided to make a revolution at the ultra-conservative institute, dared to swim against the currents, following only his personal beliefs-evidence of courage, worthy of admiration.
And most of all I am delighted by his ability to question the “indestructible” religious dogmas, in which the Pope, as no one else, is supposed to be confident. At least – in the existence of God as such. The young dad doubts that his image makes his image more voluminous, more interesting and closer to the viewer.
