We plan to see this film about the Catholic uprising against a Marxist government in the 1920s. Father Miguel Pro and several others were canonized because of their resistance to the evils of that government. I wonder if we Eastern Catholics will eschew our isolationism enough to stand up against the challenges facing us in the US just now. In any event I hope many here will see the film if for no other reason than to have another interesting topic to address.

http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2012/05/30/viva_cristo_rey/page/full/

The Cristero revolution has gone almost ignored here in the States and in Mexico - until recently. Bl. Pope John Paul's 1979 pastoral visit to Mexico (his first overseas trip after his election as Pope)did a great deal to tone down or rescind anti-clerical laws still on the books. Priests and religious were prohibited from wearing clerical attire or religious habits in public; I understand priests were prohibited from owning real estate and were deprived of the right to vote.

Mexican President Calles was more inspired by anti-Catholic Freemasonry than by Marxism.

Bl. Father Miguel Pro has not yet been canonised, although he is arguably the best-known of these modern Mexican martyrs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Pro

To learn more about the canonised martyrs, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_of_the_Cristero_War

Devotion to at least one of them, St. Toribio Romo, has become quite popular, as he is considered by many to be patron of Mexican immigrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally and under dangerous circumstances.

I believe in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI authorised the beatification of 13 additional Mexican martyrs of the same era; one of whom, the teenage Bl. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, has also become the object of popular devotion, as has the priest Bl. Angel Dario Acosta Zurita. He was shot in 1931 on what would later be my birthday, July 25.

Viva Cristo Rey, indeed! Martires de Mexico, rogad por nosotros.

As one whose family lived during the time of the Cristeros and is related to one of the canonized martyrs, I am very happy that this movie is coming out. In fact, I have already seen it during a special screening last month. It is very powerful movie to watch, especially the scenes depicting martyrdom. The cinematography is beautiful. Although some artistic licensing was done, it tells the true story of how the Church was treated during that time in Mexican history.
I strongly encourage everyone on the Forum to go see the film. I plan to see it again.

¡Que viva!
The Diocese of Oakland had a free showing of this back in April and I went with several friends. I can't wait to see it again.

I've been delighted to see the amount of press this film is getting. Two weeks ago I saw an ad for it in the middle of "Mad Men", major prime time! And I have seen a couple more since then. Also, I've seen links to several of the actors (Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria) on such programs as Good Morning America. Here they are on MSNBC. A common theme is that they, these actors from Mexico, had never heard of the Cristeros. The period was wiped out of the history of Mexico. (I had heard of the Cristeros, mainly through EWTN/Catholic radio) Peter O'Toole must have come out of retirement for this.

A friend who saw the film with us that night said now she knows why she was never able to get the baptismal records for some of her family members when she was doing genealogical searches. They were baptized during these years that the Church was outlawed.

I agree with griego catolico, the cinematography is beautiful and the acting is first rate. The young man who plays the boy Bl. Jose Luis carried his weight with the likes of Andy Garcia, Peter O'Toole, Rubén Blades...

The timing couldn't be better for this. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!

Everyone says it is excellent! It is about war so that must be considered for children. But, I have only heard rave revues about it.

For films with a powerful message and quality of story line I rank this with "Schindler's List" and "The Passion of the Christ". Please, go see it.

I've just seen the movie. While I expected it to be a good movie from everything I've read and heard about it, I have to confess, I did not expect it to touch me quite the way it did. I'm not one to tear-up over movies. But I did this time. It's certainly worth one's time, and I'll most definitely want to own it when it comes out on DVD.

Should be all the rage in Hanover or Morovia.

Here is a study guide for it. http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/for-greater-glory/