Madam, - thanks to all the adverse publicity in the secular media, Mel Gibson's new film The Passion of the Christ is set to break all pre-booking records and God knows what other film records in the future. This adverse publicity comes in the form that some consider the film either is, or could be, anti-Semitic; and I fear it is given further momentum by either anti-Catholics or atheists, neither of whom want such a film of Christ's death to be shown all over the world.
As an informed Catholic I find it hard to believe that a film version of the passion could leave anybody blaming or hating the Jews for Christ's death. In the first place Christ died for the sins of man, your sins and my sins. It is we who are responsible for Christ's horrible death. This is the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2004 years so accusations of anti-Semitism are misplaced. To blame the Jews - or the Romans, for that matter - for Christ's death is to be a hypocrite of biblical proportions.
As to the status of Mel Gibson's Christianity, rumours of his being an "Old Catholic" who rejects the dogma of papal infallibility in defining matters of faith and morals are false and slanderous. This accuses him of schism, of being non-Catholic. This idea has arisen from the position of Mel's father Hutton Gibson. Mel was reared a Catholic in the traditional manner. After Vatican II, when the "conciliar" popes introduced changes in aspects of the Catholic faith, a fair number of Catholics broke away from this "new faith", as they saw it. Not one of these Catholics rejects papal infallibility. The vast bulk simply removed themselves from the nuovus ordo Churchmen, preferring to go to traditional churches where the traditional Mass is said and the traditional catechism is taught. They fully accept that the Pope and Hierarchy occupy the legitimate places of authority in Christ's Church.
Another group, having believed all their lives that a pope's infallibility precluded him from teaching new doctrines to the flock, found popes doing just this after Vatican II. So they came to the conclusion that these popes lost the Petrine chair and that it is now vacant, that is, that the last four popes couldn't be true popes. Thus we have the term secevacantist. Hutton Gibson, Mel's father, is one of these. Mel, to my knowledge - and I have debated such matters with Hutton personally - is not a secevacantist. He is traditional, has his own private chapel, but gives scandal to all by some of his acting antics in the movies. Perhaps he is making amends.
Reviews of the Passion, such as in the Irish Catholic agree the film is a masterpiece. - Yours, etc.,
JAMES REDMOND O'HANLON, Braemor Road, Churchtown, Dublin 14.