“We need to inform our people about the destructive message of this movie and to highlight the beauty of God’s design for loving relationships between a husband and wife in the bond of marriage,” he wrote in a letter on 4 February.
Schnurr added that the film’s storyline “is in direct contrast to the Christian message of God’s design for self-giving and self-sacrificing love”.
In the letter, which has since been posted on the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Facebook page, Shnurr said: “In the storyline, a young Miss Steele is urged to sign a contract becoming a sex slave and agreeing to an abusive and degrading relationship.
“This movie is in direct contrast to the Christian message of God’s design for self-giving and self-sacrificing love, marriage and sexual intimacy. The movie is a direct assault on Christian marriage and on the moral and spiritual strength of God’s people.”
Fifty Shades of Grey film stills
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The Facebook post originally appeared alongside an image asking Catholics to boycott the movie and send a $50 donation to a domestic violence shelter instead.
But a spokesman for the Archdiocese told news site cincinnati.com that the image had been posted by mistake by a staff member overseeing the page.
“I’m sure the archbishop would not think it’s a bad idea, but it’s not his idea. This is not something the archbishop has specifically has asked for,” he said.
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