After seeing 'Passion,' Catholics, Jews express divergent views on it

Published: 2004-02-26

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Catholic and Jewish leaders who saw Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" together in New York on its opening day came out of the film with widely divergent reactions to it, but expressed a readiness to continue the dialogue between the two faiths. Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, president of the New York Board of Rabbis, said he did not see a message of love but "found hatred of Jews permeated this film." "Through our eyes, we saw something frightening," said Rabbi Charles Klein, a vice president of the board. "We saw the Jewish community portrayed as a ruthless mob." But he called the movie "a challenge to continue the dialogue." Rabbi Potasnik said he was grateful that the United States is a place where Jews and Christians talk about their different perspectives. William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said he did not think the movie would produce hostility toward Jews. "Any Catholic who goes out hating Jews must have been a bigot before he went into the movie," he said.

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