1 1 3 , 4 3 0 ▁on ▁its ▁opening ▁week end , ▁and ▁eventually ▁gross ed ▁$ 4 , 1 6 5 , 8 4 5 ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁ ▁Release ▁Pri est ▁received ▁very ▁vocal ▁condem n ation ▁from ▁the ▁church , ▁with ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁Ireland ▁in ▁particular ▁calling ▁for ▁a ▁ban ▁on ▁the atr ical ▁distribution . ▁This ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁disag re ement ▁between ▁the ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Irish ▁Film ▁C ensor ▁Board , ▁who ▁decided ▁to ▁release ▁it ▁anyway . ▁Other ▁Catholic ▁organizations ▁were ▁in ▁an ▁up ro ar ▁over ▁its ▁release ▁during ▁E aster ▁week end . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁Re views ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁were ▁mixed ▁to ▁average . ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁ 6 7 % ▁appro val ▁rating ▁based ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁critical ▁responses , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁rating ▁of ▁ 7 / 1 0 . ▁ ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁r ated ▁the ▁film ▁one ▁star ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁possible ▁four , ▁calling ▁the ▁screen play ▁" sh allow ▁and ▁explo itative ." ▁He ▁added , ▁" The ▁movie ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁hide bound ▁and ▁out dated ▁rules ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁are ▁responsible ▁for ▁some ▁people ▁( p ri ests ) ▁not ▁having ▁sex ▁although ▁they ▁should , ▁while ▁others ▁( inc est uous ▁parents ) ▁can ▁keep ▁on ▁having ▁it ▁although ▁they ▁shouldn ' t . ▁For ▁this ▁movie ▁to ▁be ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁moral ▁statement ▁about ▁anything