Stigmata

Stigmata is a controversial movie directed by Rupert Wainwright that premiered in 1999. It follows the conflict between Frankie, an atheist Pittsburgh hairdresser played by Patricia Arquette who exhibits true stigmata and Father Kiernan (played by Gabriel Byrne), an ordained priest who, as part of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, investigates miracles for the Vatican. Kiernan finds that Frankie does in fact have stigmata, which leads to a more important finding: the archaeological discovery of new gospels in the Negev Desert, Israel. These gospels, written by other Apostles, cover Jesus' life between the ages of 11 and 23, and describe such miracles as Jesus creating a bird out of sand (present in the supposed genuinely historical Infancy Gospel of Thomas). These gospels are opposed to the established church and state that Jesus did not want churches or fanaticism; belief in him was enough. Such a message is of course threatening to the existence of the Vatican and other Christian churches. Father Kiernan thus finds himself in a dilemma.

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