While it lacks the typical, loud, and commercial entertainment found elsewhere in Rome, the Vatican offers a lifestyle of quiet contemplation, profound intellectual engagement, and purposeful, community-oriented living.
What was the money for? Becciu initially said it was a ransom payment to free a kidnapped Italian nun in Mali. Later, he claimed it was for intelligence gathering on Vatican enemies. Prosecutors presented a different story: text messages and invoices showed Marogna spending the money on luxury hotels, designer clothes, and a €35,000 handbag from a boutique in Milan. When Italian financial police froze her accounts, they found a note in her phone: “The Cardinal said to bill everything as ‘security consulting.’ No one checks.” Scandal in The Vatican 2
The "lifestyle" aspect of Vatican II was most strikingly visible in the religious orders themselves. The Council called for a "return to the sources" and an adaptation to the conditions of the time. For many nuns and priests, this meant shedding medieval habits for simpler, modern clothing. While it lacks the typical, loud, and commercial
Prior to Vatican II, Catholic engagement with media and entertainment was highly regulated. The Legion of Decency explicitly told Catholics which movies they could and could not see. While protecting moral innocence remains important, Vatican II introduced a more mature approach based on conscience formation and media literacy. Later, he claimed it was for intelligence gathering
Perhaps the most iconic change in Catholic lifestyle and entertainment was the introduction of the "Folk Mass" or "Guitar Mass." While traditionalists resisted, many young Catholics embraced guitars, banjos, and pop-influenced hymns. This shift brought popular music sensibilities into the sacred space, changing the perception of church attendance from a solemn duty to a community celebration. 2. Film, Television, and Media Consumption
The film features an ensemble cast portraying various figures within and around the Holy See: Joel Birkin as Brother Massimo Jean-Daniel Chagall as Monsignor Fellatione Zac DeHaan as Guardsman Leccari Andrei Karenin as Captain Penitrati Manuel Rios as The Gardener Kevin Warhol as Tourist Hoyt Kogan as Guardsman Seduttori Marcel Gassion as Guardsman Dissoto Plot Summary
The rise of parish social life/potlucks? The change in musical styles (folk/contemporary)? The focus on engaging with secular media?