In advancing nun's cause, Vatican ignores her writings on the Passion

Published: 2004-02-06

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ," opens on Ash Wednesday, a spotlight will turn on a little known but influential figure in the movie's genesis: German Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich. Sister Emmerich, a mystic and stigmatic who died in 1824, is drawing attention for several reasons. Gibson has said he was inspired to make the movie in part by her book of visions, "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," which added detailed episodes to the Gospel account of Christ's suffering and death. Whether she actually wrote the book, however, has been questioned by Vatican experts. Other scholars, Jewish and Catholic, have said Sister Emmerich's writings reflect the anti-Semitism of her time, particularly in her depiction of the Jews' role in Christ's death. Pope John Paul II, meanwhile, is said to take an intense interest in Sister Emmerich and her life. Under his papacy, her sainthood cause has advanced to the point where she is expected to be beatified, probably sometime early next year.

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