Vatican confirms papal plans to beatify nun who inspired Gibson film

Published: 2004-06-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican confirmed that Pope John Paul II plans to beatify a controversial 19th-century nun whose visions helped inspire Mel Gibson to make the movie "The Passion of the Christ." German Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich will be proclaimed "blessed" along with four others Oct. 3 in a Mass at the Vatican, officials at the Congregation for Saints' Causes told Catholic News Service June 16. Beatification is a major step toward sainthood. Jewish leaders have criticized the planned beatification, saying it would harm Christian-Jewish relations. They said Sister Emmerich's published visions are anti-Semitic in their negative portrayal of Jews. Gibson has said he was inspired to make his movie in part by Sister Emmerich's book of visions, "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," which added detailed episodes to the Gospel accounts of Christ's suffering and death.

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