UNITED STATES
Broadway World
From the row houses of Milwaukee through the bare ruined choirs of Ireland’s churches, all the way to the highest office of the Vatican, it was an international and systematic conspiracy to silence victims of sexual abuse. MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, directed by Alex Gibney (HBO’s Oscar-winning “Taxi to the Dark Side”), shows the face of evil that lurks behind the smiles and denials of authority figures and institutions who believe that they can do no wrong, because they stand for good. The shocking documentary debuts MONDAY, FEB. 4 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
Other HBO playdates: Feb. 4 (4:05 a.m.), 7 (10:30 a.m.), 9 (4:00 p.m.), 15 (6:15 p.m.), 19 (1:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.) and 24 (noon)
HBO2 playdates: Feb. 6 (8:00 p.m.), 11 (4:00 p.m.), 17 (8:15 a.m.) and 22 (6:00 p.m.)
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD investigates the secret crimes of Father Lawrence Murphy, a charismatic Milwaukee priest who abused more than 200 Deaf children in a school under his control. The film documents the first known public protest against clerical sex abuse in the U.S., which led to a case that spanned three decades and ultimately resulted in a lawsuit against the pontiff himself. The investigation helped uncover documents from the secret Vatican archives that show the Pope, who must operate within the mysterious rules of the Roman Curia, as both responsible and helpless in the face of evil.
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