A CATHOLIC activist group have condemned the release of a new "offensive" film about lesbian nuns.
Upcoming movie Benedetta, from Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven, is set to be released on April 15 – much to the dismay of some.
Benedetta tells the story of real-life 17th-century woman who becomes entangled in an affair with another nun in her convent, before their romance is discovered by the church.
To further complicate things, Benedetta appears to be marked by stigmata – the miraculous appearance of Jesus Christ’s wounds on a person’s body.
Loosely based on a true story, director Paul set his film on the 1986 non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy.
The chosen release date of the film, coupled with the subject, means Benedetta was likely going to cause controversy among devoted Christians, particularly those who subscribe to the notion that being gay is a sin.
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And with the release just days away, a Catholic activist organisation is demanding the movie be pulled.
A petition set up by the Irish Society for Christian Civilisation (ISFCC) described the flick as a "smart smut attack on the Holy Catholic Church".
Addressing distribution company Mubi directly, the petition reads: "I strongly oppose and condemn your distribution and promotion of Paul Verhoeven’s film Benedetta."
The ISFCC urged fellow Catholics to sign the petition, which so far has over 13,000 signatures.
While causing outrage amongst Catholics and Christians, critics so far seem to be impressed with Benedetta, with the film so far boasting an impressive 85 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The French-language film premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to general praise, but did not win the coveted Palme d’Or.
The Sun has reached out to director Paul Verhoeven for comment.
Benedetta hits theatres in the UK and Ireland on April 15.
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