The Catholic Church in Mexico condemned the film, calling it “blasphemous” and “anti-Catholic.” The Mexican bishops’ conference urged the government to ban it, but the film was rated “B” (for adults) and played widely. Conservative groups protested outside theaters, while others defended it as free speech and a necessary critique.
The film asks a question that still haunts religious institutions today: By refusing easy answers, Carrera created not an anti-Catholic polemic, but a universal tragedy about power, desire, and the human cost of silence. fylm The Crime of Padre Amaro 2002 mtrjm - fydyw lfth
However, some critics argued the film was too bleak, offering no redemption or counterweight of genuine faith. The only sympathetic priest—a rural missionary who lives in poverty—is dismissed by Amaro as “naive.” Over two decades later, The Crime of Padre Amaro remains a landmark of Latin American cinema. It paved the way for more critical religious films in the region, such as La vida de los peces (2010) and El club (2015, Chile). It also anticipated the #MeToo-era reckoning with clerical abuse by depicting not just physical assault but psychological and spiritual coercion. The Catholic Church in Mexico condemned the film,
Benito is having a long-term sexual affair with (Ernesto Gómez Cruz’s character’s mistress? Wait, correction: Benito’s mistress is Amelia ’s mother? Let me clarify the actual characters). However, some critics argued the film was too