Trailer for “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”
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Trailer for “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”

39 commentsMay 8, 20051 min read
Written by Domenico Bettinelli

On a French web site with French subtitles (but in English) is the trailer for “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” movie.

Wow. The same special effects company that did the Lord of the Rings, WETA, is doing this movie and it shows. The brief clips look awesome, including Aslan, who is apparently all digital. Can’t wait for December.

Oh, and the French title says, “Chapter One.” Apparently, they’re hoping to film more “chapters.”

[Hat tip to Bill Cork]
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39 comments

  • I believe the difference between the Creighton Method and other methods is the examination of discharge and no internal examinations are needed. 
    This method has been extensively evaluated over the past 25 years through research first at St. Louis University and Creighton University Schools of Medicine and most recently at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the study of Human Reproduction (Omaha, Nebraska).  You can read more at this web site: [url=http://www.creightonmodel.com]http://www.creightonmodel.com[/url] and [url=http://www.popepaulvi.com]http://www.popepaulvi.com[/url]  Please let me know what you think. 

  • Dom,

    The Sympto-Thermal method is from the Couple to Couple League.  Great folks over at CCL!  This is what we have used (when we’ve used anything).  We have four, very much loved daughters.  As was mentioned above, NFP is a great way to help a married couple achieve pregnancy.  God bless you and Melanie with many children.

  • “NFP is a tool that can be used for good or for ill, to contracept or merely to space children” 

    Are you allowed to use the word “contracept” in this context?  It would seem that they would be spacing children which is fine if done responsibly, after all, that is why it is taught by Catholics.  Avoiding pregnancy permanently is wrong, of course, but I don’t think that it is “contraception”.  And also, if this desire was present from the beginning, the marriage is null.

    Best, Giulio

  • Giulio:

    The proper use of NFP within Catholic marriage, presupposes the intention of the couple to be open to life, and to endeavor to fulfill a primary obligation to procreate. This, as opposed its use to avoid pregnancy indefinitely. From there one, is up to the properly formed consciences of the parties to the union.

    That being said, I’m bettin’ we’ll see some little Bettinelli’s soon enough—Deo volente—all sporting little Boston Red Sox caps from day one.

  • We tried sympto-thermal and Creighton and found Creighton MUCH MORE helpful especially in combination with nursing.  If you need to space your children, and you probably won’t know until that is upon you, the sympto-thermal method is basically abstinence while nursing (if your spouse has mucho mucus). 

    Been there done that, got the T shirt.  My 2 cents.

  • I think the Creighton Method is considered the latest technology in NFP.  I think it’s much simpler than the S-T method.

    We never did get around to taking any NFP classes.  We just count calendar days and abstain around the time of ovulation.  It works if the wife has a regular cycle. 

  • Blog away on wedding stuff, Dom. As I wrote in another thread, marriage is the sacred covenant that is the basis of our civilization. The customs and trends that surround marriage speak volumes about our culture.

    Regards –

  • Actually, Dom, you’re really both “clients”….it’s a step below “partners”….but it’s a more clinical, neutral term…

  • Some years back, there was talk of editing Narnia to remove the Christian allegory.  Will the movie be faithful to Lewis’ vision of Aslan-as-Christ, or will it be the “cleaned-up” version?

    If they wreck Narnia, which I love about as much as Lord of the Rings, I will be really, really, really upset.

  • I think we can’t tell how faithful they were to CS Lewis’ intention without actually watching it. Even if they wanted to retain the Christian message, actually telling the public would be bad, PR-wise. CS Lewis’ intention was to smuggle Christian theology into a good story. You can’t do that if you are telling everyone that this movie is loaded with theology.

  • I have to add that it was the couples giving the talks who kept using the term “partner.” The Maronite priest, Father Joe, who gave talks on spirituality and on sexuality always used “spouse” or “bride” or “bridegroom.” He was really good, by the way. Except the talk on sexuality stopped just short of covering the Church’s teaching on contraception. Why is everyone so afraid of speaking the truth? (rhetorical question, folks.)

    NFP can be abused when a couple has a contraceptive mentality, i.e. is not open to life. After all Catholic wedding vows include promises to be open to the children God send you. NFP can be taught as “Catholic birth control” when the moral component is neglected. The Church teaches that pregnancy should only be avoided for grave reasons. God gives us freedom to work with his will or against his will and thus NFP can be abused when it becomes all about the couple’s will and not about God’s plan for them.
     

  • Dom & Melanie (where’ the S go?):  Where did you do Pre-Cana?  Saint Basils?  I’m guessing so, since you said Fr. Joe and Maronite?  If so, did you have Joel & Carol?  They are at my church.

    For the most part, the priests of the Salvatorian order are devout and pretty much Orthodox, and they tend not to let you rationalize your way around the doctrines of the faith.  They have a strong devotion to the Lord and to our Blessed Mother.  I would be surprised if you didn’t here the official platform on contraception later in the process….  especially from Fr. Joe.

  • I wonder if they’re keeping “Son of the Emperor over the Sea” and “sons of Adam & daughters of Eve”, two of the more obvious tie-ins.

  • Joe, yes we went to St Basil’s. Yes we had Joel and Carol. It was only a 2 day program: Friday night and Saturday day. 

    I was also surprised Fr Joe didn’t say anything about contraception. But what we got was what we got. He seemed to be winging it, maybe he just forgot. On Saturday he mentioned a few things he’d forgotten to say on Friday night. He didn’t seem to be working from notes. The odd thing was he ended his talk on sexuality with a comment that would have segued perfectly into a discussion of the Church’s teachings on contraception. And stopped there. It really felt like he left the talk unfinished. Maybe he’s just used to having more time to talk. I don’t know. I found it odd. I know Joel and Carol were a bit distracted they had to leave early for family reasons. Everything was a bit ad hoc after they left.
    I don’t want to sound too complaining. It was good as far as it went. maybe it was too little time for too much stuff.

    (The S on my login comes and goes depending on which computer I’m on. I can’t ever remember my passwords so I have a couple log in IDs and the various computers remember different IDs and passwords for me.)

  • I wonder if Fr. Joe is usually the priest for pre-Cana…  Fr. Martin was with me at MCI Norfolk for Cursillo this weekend, so he couldn’t have done it… Perhaps he usually does it?  I’ll be there tonight and ask…

  • I know Fr Joe has done it before because he mentioned that he always gets nervous. But maybe he isn’t the usual one. That might explain it.

  • People use the word “partner” because they have already been living together for so many years ….. they probably don’t even know how this practice undermines a marriage.

  • Melanie,

    I once read something by a orthodox Catholic priest in which he hinted that it’s not Catholic teaching that married couples should have as many children as they can.  I’ve always wanted to ask him to clarify that statement but never have.

    Anybody have anything to add on this?

  • Thomas,
    It isn’t the general populace’s use of the word “partner” I object to so much as the use of that word by people who are representing the teaching of the Catholic Church at an official retreat meant to guide young couples being married in the Church.
    Of course, I understand that the general use of the term reflects the breakdown of the institution of marriage in our society.  But the Church should be a leader in this area, not follow suit. People who give talks at retreats should know better. that they don’t saddens me. I wrote that down on my review of the retreat and hopefully they will take note.

     

  • Thomas, I think partner has become the new socially acceptable term.  WE are partners… rather than you are MY spouse.. He is HER spouse… note the possessive pronouns (is that a pronoun). 

    The use of the term PARTNERSHIP makes both not only equal.. but THE SAME…  remember… “today”, there are no differences between men and women…

    NOTE:  The Church is “The Bride of Christ” or His spouse…  If we truly look at marriage as a sacrement, the same as the Church is married to Christ, we would never, ever dare use the word “partner”.

  • Thomas,
    It isn’t even just unmarried couple using the word “partner” anymore. Everyone uses it, which shows how we can let the “world’s” usage creep into even orthodox beliefs.

    midwestmom,
    I would agree with the priest. We are under no obligation to have as many children as we possibly can, regardless of our emotional, spiritual, or physical health. This is why God made fertility cyclical instead of constant. We can have sex when the woman is not fertile. In the same way, we can not sex when she is fertile. There can be valid reasons for this: The mother’s health could be one; financial precariousness could be another.

    This needs to be distinct from a contraceptive mentality. We should not close ourselves off from life; or to be more accurate, to close off the marital act from life. To be blunt, if you’re going to have sex, then you have to embrace the fullness of its meaning, both procreative and unitive.

    If you want more detail on this , I would recommend Kimberly Hahn’s “Life-Giving Love.” Melanie has read it and says that every engaged couple should be given it during their first meeting with the priest. Every married couple should read it too.

  • Father Joe send me a reply himself, but asked me to post it because he didn’t know how to register:

    This is the first time I’ve ever visited a blog.  Very interesting site!

    Please allow me a few comments regarding the Pre-Cana. 

    1.  Actually, you guessed rightly.  When I spoke at the end of a talk about the importance of living married life through the prism of the Churche’s teaching, I meant to discuss contraception, as I usually do.  But I forgot!!!  It really bothered me when I read your comment on that because it is something that all Catholic spouses-to-be need to hear, and, as you say, too often don’t.

    2.  Also, I too can’t stand to hear of “partners” rather than fiances or spouses-to-be or even “couple”.  But my reason is different.  “Partners” is a word related mostly to unmarried people “living together” or homosexual households.  When we use it of Christian and Catholic spouses-to-be, it both puts them on an equal plane with the above and minimizes their relationship with the mystical union of Christ and his Bride-Church which their marriage-to-be will soon symbolize.

    3.  Catholic doctrine does not hold that married couples must have as many children as they can!  (Did I read that comment correctly?)  It holds only that the method of birth control that is used must be “natural”, not one that purposely interrupts conception.

    Aboona [Father] Joe

  • Dom/Father Joe,

    I remember reading in a Couple to Couple League newsletter when I was in high school that Catholics were supposed to have large families and that four or more was considered large.  For some reason that stuck with me.

    I have four children (not because of that article) but I sense that some Catholic families that have tons of kids believe that they are supposed to do that and anyone who doesn’t is less Catholic than them.  Oh, and you’re a bad mother if you don’t breastfeed.

    Sometimes I wonder if I am sinning because I’m not continuing to have children up until the time I’m barren.  Can somebody clarify ‘grave reasons’?

    It seems like the only couples using NFP are the ones who have a ton of kids.  Why is that?  What’s the point of going to the trouble of taking the classes, charting, taking temps, analyzing mucus, etc. to have a child every year anyway?  Are these couples physically incapable of abstaining?  Or do the wives think they’re committing mortal sin by not having intercourse any time their husbands want it?

    I’ll admit I do need to read up on this.

  • NFP isn’t just about avoiding children, because that would be contraception. It’s just as much about knowing how to get pregnant. It’s really a way to understand your fertility cycle and knowing what your body is doing.

    Some people just don’t want to abstain and I don’t blame them. Some people really do believe that every child is a blessing from God and that they are capable of caring for each one of them. Every person is on a different walk and no one should act superior or look down on others because they are doing it differently.

    Really, there are actually couples physically incapable of conceiving children. They’re not sinning by not being able to have children. Likewise a couple with only two children is not necessarily in sin. Only their confessor and God really know and no one else should presume to judge that situation.

  • The word “partner” can mean anything. When I taught dance classes, I had a “partner” helping me. And some mature adults who have a regular companion might prefer the use of “partner” or “companion” over “girlfriend” or “boyfriend,” since neither is girl or boy.

    Then there’s the word “friend,” which takes on a particular meaning depending on how it’s said. But I don’t think the word “partner” is the exclusive domain of those up to all sorts of wickedness.

    At least I hope not.

  • Love and Responsibility by John Paul II is a must read for any Catholic married couple. He gathered much understanding on the married sexual state in the Catholic context as a young priest/pastor. I love his explanation of the Catholic notion that “all instances of marital intercourse shall be open to life” even if one is using the infertile periods to postpone or avoid pregnancy (which he clearly states there are times when this must be done, if one is responsible and a thinking human being who can regulate his impulses). He says that love and charity often demands abstinence/or use of the infertile periods only. But in every situation we must say “I may become a mother” or “I may become a father”…..if you are unable to say this, you must abstain……therefore, this stops the contraceptive mentality, bc if a “surprise” should occur, one knows it is God’s will.

    But, alas, I’ve given poor paraphrasing, and hope that you’ll all read this great work…..esp the priest who is responsible for the souls of his people.

  • David,
    Partner, in the context of marriage, is almost always used as a way of opening up spousal relationships to include non-spousal relationships. Obviously, you can use partner in many ways, but in the context of Catholic marriage prep it is not appropriate. For that matter, I don’t want anyone to ever refer to me or Melanie as “lovers”. Makes me gag just writing it.

    Lily,
    Love and Responsibility is great reading, but a little dense for the average person. The title I suggested, Life-Giving Love, presents the same material in easier-to-grasp language. Also, the Christopher West audiotapes on the Theology of the Body are excellent studies of JP2’s thoughts specifically, in an accessible form.

  • Thanks Dom. I’ve never read Life-Giving Love but I’m happy to hear there’s such a book.
    I think if I were a priest I would give a copy of Life-Giving Love to every couple I prepared for marriage. No, if I were a bishop I’d buy thousands of copies and give them out. But, no, first I’d quiz my priests to see if they understand Catholic principles on the subject, then give the books out with instructions.
    Then I’d rest at night knowing I could meet the Lord on that Great Day and I wouldn’t have to contend with the lamentations of men and women who will cry out, in truth, that they were never instructed on the beautiful principles of the Faith.

  • For those who are intimidated by the idea of reading a whole book like Life Giving Love—or are too busy—or by the idea of trying to wade through the dense language of Love and Responsibility:

    Searching through the binder our NFP class gave us, I just found a really good short pamphlet called “Discerning Serious and Just Reasons for Postponing Pregnancy.”

    It’s available online from a great website called One More Soul that has all sorts of awesome articles and resoures on NFP.

    Here are some excerpts from the pamphlet I thought most relevant to midwestmom’s concern about the obloigation to have large families:

    “The decision… to postpone or cease having children must be considered in the light of the Christian virtues of self-donation, charity and prudence. Self-donation and charity… demand that the decision to have children consider first and foremost the good of the children (both existing and future)… a selfless appraisal of the intrinsic value of another child and his/her welfare as well as proper concern for children already born. Prudence calls us to make wise and responsible decisions in service of charity and guides charity to its most fruitful end.
    It is neither prudent nor charitable to have more children that a couple can reasonable care for.”

    Humanae Vitae teachers there are 4 factors to be weighed in making a prudent decision: physical, psychological, economic, and social.

    “Invalid or selfish motives that fall short of just or serious criteria might include: loss of free time, sense of lost youth, cramped social life, inconvenience, change in sex life, inopportune timing, distaste for babies bodily functions, and materialism.”

    I would suggest that anyone who is seriously worried about being in a state of sin, should seek advice from Church authorities (guidance from a priest), consult the official teaching of the Church (reading some of the suggested books), and most of all that both spouses should spend time together in honest deep and persistent prayer and soul searching, so that they might togther discern the will of God in their lives.

  • also this quote seemed pertinent:

    The Second Vatican Council’sPastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World also offeres some criteria for discerning the call to have children:

    “Parents should regard as their proper mission the task of transmitting human life and educating those to whom it has been transmitted. They should realize that they are thereby cooperators in with the love of God the Creator, and are, so to speak, the interpreters of that love. Thus they will begin to fulfill that task with human and Christian responsibility, and, with docile reverence toward God, will make decisions by a common counsel and effort. Let them thoughtfully take into account both their own welfare and that of their children, those already born and those which the future may bring. For this accounting they need to reckon with both the material and the spiritual conditions of the times as well as of their state in life. Finally, they should consult the interests of the family group, of temporal society, and of the Church herself. The parents themselves and no one else should ultimately make this judgment in the sight of God. But in their manner of acting the spouses should be aware that they cannot proceed arbitrarily, but must be governed according to a conscience dutifully conformed to the divine law itself, and should be submissive to the Churchgmt>
    As far as having a large family I say thank God for St. Catherine of Siena’s parents and their decision to be open to the gifts that God would send them. She was the 23rd child.  The gift of poverty was the gift that God the Father gave to His Son Jesus- to live in a state of poverty, especially as a result of having a large family is praiseworthy and not to be denigrated.  You may notice that the larger families tend to produce more vocations- greater generosity, greater self sacrifice equals more vocations- hmmm I wonder if there is a connection?

  • Mary:

    I agree. A family in my parish has 16 kids, from 23 years to… well, just hatched. The older boys are great kids (I’ve trained them for serving a Latin Mass), and they work for their father’s contracting business when they come of age. The mother doesn’t look like she’s had half that many. I ask the boys how they do it. “The grace of God,” they say. “Oh, come on now, it’s gotta be vitamins or something,” I tease them.

    I guess you had to be there.

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