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Groups Outraged by Mel Gibson's Crucifixion Parade (Aussies nix Pell's Invite)
NewsMax ^ | August 24, 2005

Posted on 08/25/2005 10:29:33 AM PDT by NYer

Some of the most vehement critics of Mel Gibson's blockbuster film "The Passion of the Christ" are trying to rain on Mel Gibson's parade.

As NewsMax.com reported August 6, Mel Gibson has been asked by Australia's Archbishop George Pell to recreate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the streets of Sydney during Pope Benedict XVI's visit there in 2008 - should that city be selected to host World Youth Day.

According to reports the crucifixion re-enactment - similar to scenes from Gibson's hugely successful film "The Passion of the Christ" - would begin with the Last Supper staged at Sydney's landmark Opera House at sunset, and would end with the crucifixion of Christ at St. Mary's Cathedral.

Pell's invitation to Mel Gibson has apparently enraged disgruntled dissident Catholics and others who were not so happy that Gibson produced the blockbuster film "The Passion of the Christ."

Many of these same critic are now staging a campaign against Gibson in Australia to stop him from creating a re-enactment of the crucifixion.

Warning that his group would drop plans to hold their annual conference in Sydney in 2007 if Gibson's parade goes ahead, Professor John Pawlikowski, president of the International Council of Christians and Jews said the invitation to Gibson is a serious issue for Christian-Jewish relations.

Pawlikowski claimed Gibson is contributing to the "the ever escalating crisis regarding Vatican II within contemporary Catholicism."

According to Australia's Age, Professor Pawlikowski, professor of social ethics at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a leading critic of Gibson's "The Passion" wrote in an e-mail published on the independent website Online Catholics that Cardinal Pell will be giving "affirmation as a Catholic hero before a global audience" to a person [Gibson] who "totally dissents" from the teaching of Vatican II.

His complaint was echoed by Sister of Sion Dr. Marianne Dacy, secretary of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews, who told Online Catholics there were "deep anxieties" in the local interfaith dialogue community.

"Mel Gibson cannot be allowed to be part of this Sydney event. It will be a severe body blow to the progress that has slowly been made in Christian-Jewish relations," Dr. Dacy said.

Mel Gibson, who grew up in Australia, has not said whether he would honor Cardinal Pell's request.


TOPICS: Activism; Catholic; Current Events; General Discusssion; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: 666mel; australia; crucifixion; gibson; nccj; pell; stations; wayofthecross
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To: stuartcr
OK, I guess I understand how you feel, but at least I would have undeniable proof of what my grandparents did, and I would be able to show people.

So your point is you won't take something on faith?

21 posted on 08/25/2005 11:45:40 AM PDT by Romish_Papist (Check my FR page for samples of my VERY amateur photography.)
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To: siunevada

???


22 posted on 08/25/2005 11:47:11 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: BulldogCatholic

You are correct in your first paragraph, and I don't understand the second paragraph.


23 posted on 08/25/2005 11:48:37 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: FatherofFive

Who said anyone needed it? Don't twist my words.


24 posted on 08/25/2005 11:49:55 AM PDT by Romish_Papist (Check my FR page for samples of my VERY amateur photography.)
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To: Romish_Papist

My faith only goes as far as a belief in one God, for all things.


25 posted on 08/25/2005 11:50:33 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr

Ummm, ok. There IS only one God; Triune, yes, but one God nonetheless.


26 posted on 08/25/2005 11:52:18 AM PDT by Romish_Papist (Check my FR page for samples of my VERY amateur photography.)
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To: NYer
Catholic Theological Union Says it all, in my opinion. Dissenters one and all.
27 posted on 08/25/2005 11:55:13 AM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: Romish_Papist

I do not understand Triune


28 posted on 08/25/2005 11:56:33 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr

Triune = Trinity

Try here:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm

Hope it helps.


29 posted on 08/25/2005 12:03:03 PM PDT by Romish_Papist (Check my FR page for samples of my VERY amateur photography.)
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To: Romish_Papist
Ummmm, it's not a stumbling block to me, as my reply should show.

Right. But you are one of those called. To whom Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God. (v 24)

30 posted on 08/25/2005 12:06:18 PM PDT by siunevada
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To: Romish_Papist

My belief stops at the one God. It would seem that a belief in the Trinity is dependent on one's belief in the bible.


31 posted on 08/25/2005 12:08:59 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr
???

Mmmm, okay. Here's part of what those verses mean to me. Paul proclaims Christ crucified. To those seeking wisdom, Greeks using logic and rationality as the highest standard of judgement, this appears to be foolishness. To those who are called Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God. The foolishness of God exceeds the wisdom of man.

Even pale images of this event such as Gibson's movie have an attraction that can't be explained on a solely rational level. The event itself and the images of it are, indeed, horrific. On a rational level, a normal person would not want to look at even cinematic illusions of torture and death. Or even think about it, or meditate on it. Or proclaim it to the world. St. Paul would probably agree with you completely, it doesn't make sense on purely rational level. It certainly took several unusual events to make Paul see things differently than he did when he was zealous for persecuting Christians.

32 posted on 08/25/2005 12:28:32 PM PDT by siunevada
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To: stuartcr
belief in the Trinity is dependent on one's belief in the bible.

This is not accurate. The Bible does not teach the Holy Trinity directly, although there are passages in it that validate that belief. The Church formed the concept of the Trinity over the course of several centuries, and in fact some trinitarian disputes persist to this day (Filioque).

33 posted on 08/25/2005 12:32:26 PM PDT by annalex
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To: FatherofFive
I don't need to see special effects to understand the real "Passion" of Christ.

You may not, but than again, you're not everyone are you?

34 posted on 08/25/2005 12:35:57 PM PDT by conservonator
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To: siunevada

OK...still not quite sure of what you are saying, but I gotta go for now.


35 posted on 08/25/2005 12:36:29 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: annalex

Well, it seemed like that to me, after reading the article on the web. I will have to put myself among those that do not believe in it.


36 posted on 08/25/2005 12:38:47 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: NYer

Father Pawlikowski's bio:

http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/AuthorBiosPhotos/JPawlikoswskiBio.htm


37 posted on 08/25/2005 12:45:40 PM PDT by siunevada
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To: stuartcr

Truth should be something that actually happened, which in this case, it has not. There were no incidents of Christians going out beating up Jews.

In fact, in the movie, it is pretty obvious that it was both the politics of the Romans and the politics of the Jewish leaders that combined to end in the death of Jesus. If you have ever done the Stations of the Cross (don't know if you're Catholic or not), you'll know that they usually depict with Romans soldiers flogging Jesus, standing by the side and watching him fall, etc.

Mel Gibson's movie found both good Jews and good Romans, however, who objected to this being done to an innocent man; and the same is true in the Stations. Veronica, who comes forward to wipe the face of Jesus, is a Jew, moved to pity by this torture. Simon of Cyrene is a Jew, forced to carry the Cross by the Romans.

Hence, the liberals are not telling the truth, and there is no question about it. But for them, truth is what they say it is and what serves their ideology, objective reality be damned.


38 posted on 08/25/2005 1:01:52 PM PDT by livius
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To: FatherofFive

You don't have to see the face of Christ to believe, but certainly it helps us emotionall;y to see a representation of it. Even Protestant homes have such depictions on the wall, although the Bible does not give us a clue about his actual appearance.


39 posted on 08/25/2005 1:14:37 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: livius

If anyone really knew anything about history, the persecution of the Jews started with the Pharisies and Jews descriminating and punishing the "Jew Christians" as they were called and were later totally Excommunicated from all of Jewish life, as they at that time still worshipped in temples and the like.

St Stephen in 43AD being murdered at the hands of the Jews, Paul the Apostle was arrested in Jereselum by the Jews, turned over to the Romans who later executed him in Rome, and then the final break came when the Romans burnt and destroyed the Temple in 70AD, the Phrasies excommunicated all "Jew Christians" from being and living out the life of a Jew, and all "heretics" and a curse was prayed at the begining of every synagogue service on these "Jew Christians" from that point on.

That was when the "Jew Christians" realized they needed to start their own church, as up to that period that was never the real intention.

So , not to ever condone violence or hatred, this anti-semitic behavior is due to the actions of the Jews of the 1 through 3rd centuries who took pride in pointing out to the Romans where these "Christians" were so they could be turned over and killed.


40 posted on 08/25/2005 1:47:36 PM PDT by BulldogCatholic
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