It is exactly 60 years ago today since the Vatican prohibited St. Faustina's message of Divine Mercy. At the time, all bishops had been told to remove the images of Divine Mercy.
Now 60 years later in the Vatican, the very place the Divine Mercy message was originally banned, is the screening of this new docudrama about St. Faustina “Love and Mercy.”
It examines the life of this famous saint and those involved in preserving the Divine Mercy image, such as Blessed Fr. Michael Sopoćko.
Michał Kondrat, director of “Love and Mercy,” believes it is very symbolic for the film to be shown here in the Vatican.
MICHAŁ KONDRAT
Director, “Love and Mercy”
“It is beautiful that we can, in the same place, show the movie Sr. Faustina.” “Sometimes we need time to confirm something and it was exactly the case with the revelations of Sr. Faustina Kowalska.”
The film even reveals unknown facts and recently disclosed documents such as a letter Fr. Michael Sopoćko sent to the Vatican. It also offers new scientific analysis of the exact matching of Christ's face in the Divine Mercy image to that on the Shroud of Turin.
According to Card. Salvatore de Giorgi, St. Faustina's revelation emphasizes once again God's great mercy.
CARD. SALVATORE DE GIORGI
Archbishop Emeritus of Palermo
“She received from Jesus directly the revelation of the greatest and joyful message of the Gospel: that God is merciful.”
For Kamila Kamińska, a polish actress who plays St. Faustina in the film, this nun's perseverance and obedience to God's call in proclaiming His Mercy is what impressed her the most.
KAMILA KAMIŃSKA
Actress, “Love and Mercy”
“She trusts Him. So for me it is amazing because everybody can listen to God, but not everyone wants to; and everyone has a task for life.”
The filmmakers hope this film will continue to promote the Mercy God wanted St. Faustina to communicate to the whole world.
During St. John Paul II papacy, he helped lift the ban on devotion to Divine Mercy. He even canonized this holy nun; and instituted the Feast of Divine Mercy in 2000 to be celebrated universally the Sunday after Easter.
It was also on the vigil of this feast that John Paul II passed away in 2005. The pope emeritus and now Pope Francis have continued to encourage this devotion.
The movie “Love and Mercy” will be screened in various cinemas across the world. It even had a special screening during Panama WYD.
