Rabbi says Gibson film is opportunity for church to stress teachings

Published: 2004-03-01

NEW YORK (CNS) -- An Orthodox rabbi said Feb. 26 that Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was an "egregious movie" but a gift to Catholic leaders in offering them an opportunity to "exercise teaching authority and be a voice of moral leadership." Rabbi Eugene Korn, an author and editor who was formerly director of interfaith relations for the Anti-Defamation League, pointed to the U.S. bishops' 1988 guidelines on dramatizations of the Passion and said, "This movie violates every single one of these criteria." Speaking the day after the movie opened, he said its critics mistakenly allowed attention to focus on Gibson himself and questions about whether he is anti-Semitic. But Rabbi Korn said the central issue was the effect Gibson's movie would have. "We should have changed strategies" to work with Christian leaders to offset its dangers, he said.

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