Pope John Paul has seen Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passionabout Christ's final hours and was moved by it, a Vatican source said today .
He said the pope saw the film with his long-time Polish secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, about 10 days ago.
The source also confirmed reports that the pope told his secretary after viewing the film: "It is as it was," meaning he considered it an authentic portrayal of Gospel accounts of the last hours in Christ's life.
The movie, which covers the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ, has come under fire from some Jewish groups who fear its story could foment anti-Semitism because it portrays Jewish authorities as largely responsible for Christ's death.
But Catholic and other Christian groups, as well as biblical scholars, have defended the film, saying it sticks closely to accounts of the crucifixion as told in the New Testament.
The 83-year-old pope viewed the film on a video monitor in his apartments, the source said. The film, which is due to be released in February, has been shown to a select audience of Catholic officials in several private screenings in recent weeks.
Mr Abraham H. Foxman, US director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group would respect the pope's views "The pope has a record and history of sensitivity to the Jewish community and has a clear moral voice and understanding when it comes to anti-Semitism," Mr Foxman said.
