Bishops, others weigh in on 'Passion'

Published: 2004-02-27

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic bishops around the country were among those offering comment and opinion on "The Passion of the Christ" and issues surrounding the movie. While some bishops endorsed the film, most offered cautions about the level of violence in it and warned against the film being used to foster anti-Jewish sentiment. The movie opened Feb. 25 in more than 3,000 theaters, making it the largest release for a subtitled film; its characters speak Aramaic and Latin. Newmarket Films, which is distributing the movie, took in an estimated $26.3 million in ticket sales the first day. "As of this date, I have not been able to see Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of the Christ.' Given the violence and brutality that reportedly pervades the film, I probably will not see it," said a Feb. 25 statement from Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati. Archbishop Pilarczyk said, "No matter what the filmmaker intended, the film is not a full and faithful presentation of the four Gospel narratives of the Passion of Our Lord. Apparently the film adds some non-Gospel material to the narrative and omits other Gospel material."

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