After the surprising success of “Sound of Freedom” starring Jim Caviezel, Angel Studios and producer Eduardo Verastigui have gone on to release “Cabrini” in theaters. The film tells the story of Italian-born Mother Cabrini, born Frances Xavier Cabrini, who battled against the poverty of New York City in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Cabrini, a nun, founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and helped start the building of orphanages, hospitals, and schools for the city’s poorest residents. She would go on to be the first American to be canonized.

The film has overall been positively received, receiving a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and 90% with critics. However, some Catholic groups have accused the film of downplaying Cabrini’s religious faith, with The Catholic Exchange wondering if the film wished to portray its titular character as “feminist Social Justice Warrior or [a] Catholic Saint?” The Catholic World Report called the film a “An otherwise good and admirable film ultimately comes up short, as it fails to show how Jesus Christ was the source of Mother Cabrini’s vocation and motivation.” “Oddly missing from the film, however, are several characteristics that would be considered essential for anyone striving towards sainthood, namely, holiness and prayerfulness,” said The Catholic World Report. “Surely, Mother Cabrini and her Sisters had a deep and robust prayer life that formed their vocation and mission. Yet the film lacks any hint of Mother Cabrini’s personal or communal spirituality.” The review does not recall a single mention of Jesus during the film and points out that Cabrini is portrayed as being discriminated against due to her gender and immigration status, but anti-Catholic biases are never addressed. “These notable omissions presumably come from the desire to attract a broader audience. They nonetheless distort Mother Cabrini’s lifework, depicting her as a glorified social worker, feminist champion, and trailblazer for the equal rights movement,” says The Catholic World Report.

Verastigui addressed the criticisms on the “Lighthouse Faith” podcast. He stated the purpose of a good story is to “show” rather than “tell.” Alejandro Monteverde, who directed both “Cabrini” and “Sound of Freedom,” said in an interview that he tries to avoid the “faith-based” label. “Labels are designed to exclude, period,” he said. “So, the minute you label something, you’re split into another audience. I have always been fighting against labels.” He said he likes “to make movies for everybody — for people of faith, for people of no faith, and the people in between” and to “open up a social dialogue.” “So yes, I don’t understand why they need to label my work,” he said. “I take it personally. My films constantly have that label. I hope one day it’s just a movie.”