.png?sfvrsn=d44c47b8_1)
By Eileen Connelly, OSU
Br. Greg Friedman, OFM, has put his dramatic skills to use as the narrator for “TEILHARD: Visionary Scientist.” The film made its broadcast debut on Maryland Public Television on May 19.
Telling the story of the late Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, French Jesuit priest and scientist, the documentary weaves together themes from his life, including scientific adventure, the search for meaning, unresolved conflict with authority, the primacy of spirit and the power of love.
A journalist, author, pilgrimage and retreat leader, Br. Greg has known the filmmakers, Frank and Mary Frost, for years and collaborated with them on various projects.
“The friars might remember the PBS documentary on 'Bernardin’ about the life and death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin,” he said. “Frank was one of the producers on that.”
“When Frank contacted me about this last summer, I was very happy to say ‘yes’ because it’s a very worthy cause and a story that needs to be told,” Br. Greg added.
Br. Greg Friedman lent his narrative skill to the recording of "TEILHARD: Visionary and Saint."
Finding the intersection of faith, science and technology
The film presents Teilhard’s message as relevant for our day and its rapidly evolving technology. His focus on the evolution of consciousness resonates with today’s ascent of artificial intelligence (AI).
His writings have also contributed to movements that include ecology, care for the earth, and a hopeful faith, compatible with science. He has inspired followers among believers and non-believers alike.
These words of Teilhard open the film, framing the journey of the two-hour biographical documentary that spans from his birth on May 1, 1881, in Orcines, France, to his death on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1955, in New York City.
That quote, along with narrating on his death, was “very special for me,” Br. Greg said. “After living with him for two days in a recording both, it was very emotional and enriching. I really tried to rise to the occasion for Frank and Mary because they trusted me with their life’s work. This was a real labor of love for all of us.”
“Teilhard was a spiritual thinker who I think parallels the Franciscan worldview that we see Christ and the incarnate word as the fundamental truth we try to give and share in our bringing the Gospel to others,” noted Br. Greg.
“There’s hardly a retreat, pilgrimage or sermon that goes by where I don’t appeal to this incarnational worldview,” he added. “His view on the role of humanity in relationship to God, the love of creation and the Earth, all of his studies, really demonstrated God’s glory and the power of God’s love in the world. The film really parallels our Franciscan approach to the world and to humanity.”
How to watch "TEILHARD: Visionary Scientist"
“TEILHARD: Visionary Scientist” will be available for national and international streaming for two years, beginning on May 20, 2024, on the free PBS app. Visit PBS.org to download the app, and then search for the film’s title.
The film will also make its broadcast debut on Maryland Public Television on May 19 at 4 p.m.
More information on how to access the film and on Teilhard de Chardin, including his views on evolution, the feminine, Peking Man, love and the Universal Christ may be found at www.www.TeilhardProject.com.com.
