Mel's The Passion of Christ

  • Thread starter Thread starter goodcatholic
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
This film was indeed extremely difficult to watch, but I found it to be of great value to me. As a mother of sons, I empathized with the BVM and was wrought with some inkling of the sorrow she must have felt as she watched her Son be condemned and crucified. It most definitely helped me to see with gory, but in my opinion necessary, detail the pain that my sins caused upon our Lord. I’ve watched it more than once, and find little details each time that I hadn’t noticed before. The Aramaic subtitles didn’t bother me in the least, and for me made it all the more believable and interesting. A side note: in one of his interviews, Mel said that he deliberately filmed his own hands driving the nails in “Jesus” to denote his own sins, as a form of penance.
 
I enjoyed this movie and have seen it a couple of times. The actor speaks out about the suffering of the movie and how bad it actually was, it’s a devotional thing so is quite nice to hear. I believe a further movie is or was planned on the Acts of the apostles. he spoke about wanting to be in it…sorry I forget actors names, but you should be able to google it.
 
I’d skip it. The violence is overdone, the subtitles are annoying, and I didn’t care for the portrayal of Satan as female.
 
Here is about him joining the separitist Society of Piux X, The Guardian profile: Mel Gibson | World news | The Guardian

The Bishops have given excommunication for attending Pius X masses, so that makes him excommunicated.

In Italy it’s the same

Bishop forbids attendance at SSPX services

Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, secretary of Pope Francis’ advisory council of cardinals, has told priests in his diocese that Catholics attending Masses by the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) or receiving sacraments from its priests would be automatically excommunicated because the society has...
www.thetablet.co.uk www.thetablet.co.uk

Here is more on his story and the church he belongs to:
http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2004/2004-6.pdf
 
Are you in communion with Pope Francis ?

adoremus.org

Vatican Grants SSPX Permission to Celebrate Marriage Rite

Relations between the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and the Vatican have moved one step closer to normal as Pope Francis has authorized bishops to allow SSPX priests to celebrate the sacramental rite of marriage. In an April 4 story, Zenit reports that the pope expressed his decision in a March...
adoremus.org adoremus.org

http://m.ncregister.com/daily-news/...s-to-validly-celebrate-marriages#.WpQ-BctOkwg


http://www.cfnews.org/page88/files/fdeaee6c86176da4383bebc192b8caa6-350.html
 
Last edited:
My point was that Pope Francis doesn’t seem to think one is excommunicated by attending an SSPX Mass. If he did why would he grant them permission to hear confessions and recognize SSPX marriages ?

Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the Bishops. He did say at that time that the SSPX clergy did not however exercise any valid Ministry in the Church. It appears now that Pope Francis has decided otherwise.

I’m not defending the SSPX reluctance to reconcile with wrong nor am I encouraging anyone to support one of their chapels.

You just cited a bishop as saying anyone that attends one of their Masses is excommunicated. That is simply not true.
 
Last edited:
CradleRC58 said:
My point was that Pope Francis doesn’t seem to think one is excommunicated by attending an SSPX Mass. If he did why would he grant them permission to hear confessions and recognize SSPX marriages ?

Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the Bishops. He did say at that time that the SSPX clergy did not however exercise any valid Ministry in the Church. It appears now that Pope Francis has decided otherwise.

I’m not defending the SSPX reluctance to reconcile with wrong nor am I encouraging anyone to support one of their chapels.

You just cited a bishop as saying anyone that attends one of their Masses is excommunicated. That is simply not true.
Click to expand...
Fair enough, I just heard that the lifting of those excommunications were personal excommunications, not for all who had been excommunicated. Many times excommunication is not public, but from what I heard Mel was excommunicated, not because I deduced it from all SSPX attendees being excommunicated, but because someone who knows his situation said so.
 
I wasn’t sure if it was SSPX, because the first I heard of it, it was as you said, independent. Then I read another article which associated it with SSPX.

Let’s pray for him anyhow.
 
Hello.

It’s a good movie to watch alone on Good Friday.

Thank you for reminding me of how much God loves us.
 
goodcatholic said:
Mel Gibson’s movie. A must see?
Peter Kreeft described it as “not a movie but a liturgy”. He said it was a must see for Catholics.
Would you agree? I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve procrastinated about it because I fear it will be too violent, depressing and painful to watch. Watching someone go to their death is not entertaining. Yes. OK. So I shouldn’t be expecting entertainment.
Click to expand...
Probably most of us have seen it. If anyone have not, I would recommend the movie.

To me, a well made movie/play on a given narrative, in this case the Passion of Christ, which is to be found in the Gospels, is a helpful illustration from the eyes and imagination of artists, sometimes things which we are unable to see or imagine just by reading the text alone. Watching the movie perhaps is another way of listening to a BIble study or explanation.

So in a way, it can help in the meditation of the passion especially if we watch it in a prayerful manner. We have used this movie during retreats and many members found it helpful. The things that our Savior went through in His love for us.

Yes, the scenes can be gory and probably exaggerating but the nature of the scourging by the Roman soldiers was demonstrated nevertheless. Until I was more well read, it did not occur to me that the Roman’s flagellation could draw flesh and flood, its reality which the film showed.

Sr. Miriam Heidland said at certain point our mind would just shut off, would not want to contemplate the suffering of Christ because it was just too painful.

It can draw an emotional response at seeing and reflecting a near realistic suffering of Christ.

God bless.
 
I haven’t seen that film in years. I remember the scene where Mary watched Jesus fall holding the cross is very moving.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top