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Posted on 04/25/2009 8:12:01 PM PDT by TaraP
Controversial Hollywood star Mel Gibson made a private and unexpected visit to St. Louis this week. He came to pray and talk to bishops from the Eastern Catholic Church Bishop Conference.
"I was more than surprised; I was flabbergasted," said Bishop Robert Shaheen of the Maronite Church. Shaheen had little warning about Gibson's visit. The mega star decided to pay a visit after learning the Maronite tradition within the Catholic Church uses a dialect of the historic language of Jesus , Aramaic, during the Mass.
Gibson's compelling movie, "The Passion of the Christ," used the Aramaic language and English subtitles to tell the story of the last days of Jesus.
A dozen Eastern Rite bishops from various traditions shared dinner with Gibson Wednesday night at Bartolino's Osteria in west St. Louis City. "He was very kind, very gracious, really no business," said Bishop Shaheen. Gibson asked the clergy about the differences among their traditions and the languages they use to celebrate liturgy.
The group shared traditional St. Louis style toasted ravioli and other Italian dishes. Gibson signed a menu for owner Bart Saracino and then one of his assistants paid the entire bill.
Gibson has led a controversial and very public life. He was accused of being anti-semitic and criticized for his personal life. He is currently facing divorce proceedings. "He didn't ask us of anything. He didn't ask us to endorse him," said the Bishop adding," He never said anything about his personal life except 'keep me in your prayers; I'm going through a bad time in my life.'"
Thursday morning Gibson arrived at the Maronite Church Pastoral Center near downtown to attend Mass with the bishops. He shared breakfast with them and then left to ride home on his private plane.
I don’t understand his preoccupation with Arabic. It doesn’t change anything in the bible. Of course, I have no objection, it’s his perogative.
Aramaic...The language of Jesus...
Arabic?
He really is going through a rocky time in his life. He certainly has had some rough patches, and it seems that he has had, and is now, going through a seriously emotional time. Drinking may be a big part of it....just my opinion.
I meant Aramaic. But it still is translated to the same stuff in the gospels.
What are you talking about? There is no mention of Arabic in this article.
Yes I think his demon is Alcohol...Who can restore him..Jesus can, and I hope Mel can make his way back...
Typo, schweetheart.
Not Arabic.... Aramaic was the language Jesus spoke
Being a St. Louis native(have not lived there in 30 years) and having a cousin with a restaurant on The Hill...I LOVE toasted ravioli!
see post 6.
Well duh Mel......hey Mel did you know some Catholic priests are married just in case you have other holes in knowledge of the Church you belong to. There are about 100 Catholic priests in America who are married and who are part of the Western Catholicism. There are also there are the priests who are part of the Eastern Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern Rite. These churches are under the jurisdiction of the Vatican and they recognize the authority of the pope; however, their practices and traditions are much closer to those of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and one of those traditions is allowing priests to marry.
Does “Anti Semitic” mean anything. I personally could care less what Mel Gibson does.
Waiting for the idot Larry King to get him on his rating breaking show and ask him if he had sex in the Gibson house
> He never said anything about his personal life except ‘keep me in your prayers; I’m going through a bad time in my life.’”
Thursday morning Gibson arrived at the Maronite Church Pastoral Center near downtown to attend Mass with the bishops. He shared breakfast with them and then left to ride home on his private plane.
Must be excruciating and miserable for Mel nowadays. Having millions in the bank account and going home in a private jet. I feel for him...
He wants to get as close as he can... if he can get the life and times... as well as the culture, it makes a word of difference scripture wise, another piece.
Does “Anti Semitic” mean anything..Does Forgiveness?
Mel is a sinner, he is reaching out to GOD...Jesus said you want to know how many times for forgive someone? 7 times 70...
I guess GOD can love and forgive more than we can learn from.
prayers up for Mel. He is fantastically wealthy, but struggles with the same human problems everyone faces.
God be with him.
“He really is going through a rocky time in his life. He certainly has had some rough patches, and it seems that he has had, and is now, going through a seriously emotional time. Drinking may be a big part of it....just my opinion.”
Good opinion, something that is interesting is how larger than life every thing that he does bad seems to many people, but in the context of many, most, or all of us on these threads and our friends lives and those of family members that we love and even ex wives and husbands that we care about, his sins don’t seem all that much larger.
At the distance we watch him we still get the feeling that he is tormented by pain and self torture which is more than we see in some of our friends and family that we still embrace.
Amen to that!
May the Lord bless Mel and relieve his suffering.
I can add this about his artistic talents: The laat few films he has produced are beyond wonderful - The Passion and Apocalypto.
I cannot wait to see Sam and George.
I guess going to St. Louis is sort of like a penance.
Money doesn't make a person happy.
Money doesn't guarantee happiness.
It’s late, and I think we all think about “Arab” a lot.
That said, I do think his interest in Aramaic has some logic to it; we argue ceaselessly over what the words of particular English translations are supposed to mean so it might be useful to go back to the original language in which Jesus spoke.
When he is divorced, will the church still recognize his children as legitimate? What’s the story on what happens to his family when the divorce goes through with respect to the catholic tradition?
Your comments are astute.
In a way you are correct, being a rich Hollywood celebrity, a sexy superstar, an admitted alcoholic and climbing the ranks of fame and fortune and public attention and then using that talent to make the greatest film about faith and God ever made, yet still being Mel Gibson the man, and having to live in the public eye as the creator of the movie "Passion of the Christ" is a burden that many of us would not want to carry, even in exchange for all of his money.
Personally I defer by truckloads to Mel Gibson when it comes to how much good he and I have accomplished in life, and I'm not talking about financial success.
I respect the man and have affection for him and I bemoan his failings and that we all have to share in them.
Ping. I don’t know if you’ve seen this; I thought you might be interested.
“May the Lord bless Mel and relieve his suffering.”
Amen. He certainly has made himself a heavy cross.
His children are legitimate. It makes no difference anyway. In today’s world, children born outside marriage, once baptized, have the same status in the Church as everyone else.
God gave Mel a double portion of talent, and he in turn, has used some of that talent to make the Passion film. God bless you Mel.
He affected many, many people with that movie. Everyone who has seen it has been effected in some way or another. More Protestants are taking notice of Lent and Good Friday, etc...
Guess who is NOT happy? Satan will be attacking Gibson, just as he does with everyone, but more so with Mel, until the day Gibson dies.
He needs prayers. Lots of them....
The Church doesn’t recognize divorce, so it won’t affect how they recognize his children.
Because of the importance and impact of the Passion, a lot of vets might forget that he also made the greatest and most honest movie of the American soldier in Vietnam ever made “We were Soldiers”
Interestingly Colonel Hal Moore and he bonded deeply, Colonel Hal Moore is also a Catholic and on the set Mel came to think of him as a father figure, I wonder if exposure to Hal Moore’s personal courage and history helped Mel Gibson make such a strong movie about Christ.
Well it was for the Cubs on Saturday
I think it’s important to qualify that the married priests I believe that you are referring to are priests who entered the Catholic Church and were previously priests in the Episcopalian Church. By special indult they have been allowed to be priests in the Latin Rite Catholic Church.
There are also a certain number of priests in the Latin Rite that were at one time married and had children, but who became widowers and then entered the priesthood.
I sincerely pray that he is reconciled to his wife.
Pot. Kettle. Black.
There are about 100 Catholic priests in America who are married and who are part of the Western Catholicism.(sic)
That would be the Latin Rite. Married converts from Anglicanism who are ordained in the Latin Rite are done so under Pope John Paul II's 1980 Pastoral Provision. Married converts from other protestant denominations who are ordained are ordained under a dispensation from the discipline of celibacy. Regardless of particular denomination prior to conversion, those married converts who are ordained must agree that if their spouse precedes them in death they will then adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life.
There are also there are(sic) the priests who are part of the Eastern Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern Rite.(sic)
Those would be Eastern Rites; plural not singular.
and one of those traditions(sic) is allowing priests to marry.
You are mistaken. One of the disciplines of the 21 Churches in the Eastern Rites is, as a norm, to ordain married men to the Priesthood. Once ordained in an Eastern Rite, a single Priest may not then marry. In addition, in all Rites, Bishops are chosen exclusively from celibates.
How much less could you care?
All children are legitimate in the eyes of Almighty God and His Church.
Regarding Mel Gibson, it means a false charge made with Anti-Christian motives to suppress the Passion movie.
I believe that they allow married men to become priests, but not allow priest to marry...
There is a difference.
Annulments have no effect on the legitimacy of children.
Disgruntled people who run around screaming “The Church declared my children bastards!” spread this notion.
The Hill...I’m hungry now!
THAILAND?
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