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US army chaplain meets Italian monks in Paisan (1946)
By Thomas Mirus and James Majewski ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 07, 2025 | In Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast
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Roberto Rossellini’s 1946 World War II film Paisan has a unique structure: six vignettes following the American troops from their landing in north through Naples, Rome, Florence, Romagna, and the Po Delta. However, the film takes the perspective of the Italians, with the Americans more often than not naive outsiders. It is a fascinating exploration of the clash of cultures in the tragic scenarios of war and foreign occupation. One segment in particular will be very interesting to Catholics: an American priest serving as an army chaplain visits a Franciscan monastery along with his Protestant and Jewish chaplain counterparts and encounters a more intense and less ecumenical religiosity than he is accustomed to.
Music is The Duskwhales, “Take It Back”, used with permission. https://theduskwhales.bandcamp.com
Criteria is hosted by Thomas V. Mirus and James T. Majewski.
Thomas is President of Trinity Communications, Director of Podcasts for CatholicCulture.org and hosts the Catholic Culture Podcast. See full bio.
James is Vice President of Trinity Communications and Director of Customer Relations for CatholicCulture.org as well as the host and narrator for Catholic Culture Audiobooks. See full bio.
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