The moment the trailer hit, the Catholic Church mobilized. In Mexico, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera called the film an "offense against the religious sentiments of Catholics." The Legion of Christ organized protests outside cinemas. The Church threatened to excommunicate any Catholic who watched the film or any legislator who voted to change Mexico’s censorship laws to allow it.
: Newly ordained Father Amaro (Gael García Bernal) arrives in the small town of Los Reyes to assist the aging Father Benito. o crime do padre amaro 2002 exclusive
Unlike the 1875 Portuguese novel by Eça de Queirós (which criticized the liberal monarchy and the Church’s hypocrisy), the 2002 film is a . It was produced by Alfredo Ripstein and Daniel Birman Ripstein, known for socially critical cinema. The moment the trailer hit, the Catholic Church mobilized
Lançado em 2002, "O Crime do Padre Amaro" chegou ao cinema português em um momento de grande mudança social e cultural. A década de 2000 foi marcada por uma crescente secularização da sociedade portuguesa, com uma diminuição da influência da Igreja Católica na vida pública. : Newly ordained Father Amaro (Gael García Bernal)
The film served as a launchpad for one of Portugal’s most recognizable stars, Soraia Chaves. Prior to this film, she was known as a model; afterwards, she was a cinema icon.