Posted on 06/03/2009 10:54:14 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Spiritually speaking, Mel Gibson is wading through murky waters these days. The 'Braveheart' actor-director, an outspoken cheerleader for the traditionalist Catholic movement who built his own church so he could worship, is expecting a child with his girlfriend despite still being married. Isn't there a Commandment about that?
Gibson is in the midst of divorce proceedings with Robyn Moore, his wife of 29 years and mother to their seven kids. However, even mainstream Catholicism does not tolerate the kinds of dalliances the star has made, and the consequences for his relationship with 39-year-old Russian model Oksana Grigorieva are very real when he steps into his church.
PEOPLE spoke to experts in traditionalist Catholicism, a conservative breakaway movement that worships in Latin among other things, about what Gibson will have to do in order to get back into the good graces of his own church.
Communion: At this time, Gibson is considered an adulterer and is not allowed to take Communion. Members of Holy Family Chapel in Agoura Hills, Calif. confirm he's stopped. If he puts a hold on his relationship with Grigorieva and confesses his sins, he'll be allowed back into the fold.
Annulling His Marriage: In order to re-marry, Gibson has to get his marriage to Moore annulled. But since he was married in the mainstream Catholic church, he has to apply for the request through the Vatican. One problem: the official church does not recognize Gibson's new congregation of traditionalists.
Marrying a Non-Catholic: Gibson would have to get a dispensation from a Catholic bishop to marry someone outside his church. Again, the Vatican does not approve of the actor's congregation.
According to RadarOnline, Gibson lost his cool with congregants at his Agoura Hills church recently in what one source described as a "crazed rant." Angry with the congregation for gossiping about his ongoing divorce, his affair and their baby, Gibson reportedly delivered a furious sermon last Sunday.
A source claimed that Gibson "paced back and forth, furiously telling the congregation that he would not stand by and be judged and scrutinized."
"Mel got up on his stage -- the altar -- and went off. He tried to intimidate the parishioners by staring at everyone with his angry eyes. Mel even threatened to shut down the church if people kept gossiping about him. The bottom line is that if Mel hadn't cheated on his wife and gotten his Russian girlfriend pregnant, there wouldn't be much to gossip about."
With his fast-evolving personal life, it's unclear if Gibson is eroding his clout with the millions of people who helped make his 'The Passion of the Christ' the biggest movie of 2004. Critics, including MSNBC contributor Tony Sclafani, are enraged with the actor, saying he appeared flippant about the whole affair during a recent appearance on 'The Tonight Show.' (He called himself "Octo-Mel" since Grigoriva is having his eighth child.)
"What's worse is that Gibson seems unrepentant, to use church lingo. Even publicity mongers Jon and Kate Gosselin seemed more chastened when confronted with their alleged indiscretions. And that’s saying something."
He’s made himself Pope in his own eyes.
Shepherding is such a serious job. Mel, I love ya, but you’re clearly not shepherd material, even before this latest fall from grace. Remove yourself and stop embarrassing your family. sheesh
I married a Catholic, we attended the pre-Cana classes, but I sure don’t recall my wife having to get premission from the Bishop. I have since converted to Catholicism, so, maybe were OK now. ;)
I’m missing how people in his ‘church,’ who presumably know Gibson, (who doesn’t deny the affair or his paternity of his misstress’s child) are “gossiping” ... they are discussing uncontroverted facts.
I think his intentions regarding the founding of his church were sincere and an attempt to get back to "real" Catholicism, but I have to agree with you.
The Catholic Church does provide opportunities for died in the wool traditionalists to celebrate Latin Mass and worship with others of like mind. The FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) and even the Extraordinary Form of the Mass available in many parishes do serve this function. But if one rejects the authority of the Pope these would not be an option.
The required dispensation may have been handled by the priest who performed your wedding. If your wife's parish priest was willing to perform the wedding, then the dispensation was not much more than a formality.
sitetest
Well, I was just taking it straight from Mr. Gibson's mouth.
I was a longtime Gibson fan, but it’s safe to say he’s NUTS. As a married man with 7 children, he conducts an extramarital affair, spawns yet another child, speaks publicly and jokingly of it, and then has the $&^#% to call it “gossip?”
If nothing else, he might consider the effects of this on his wife and children living as they do in a Mel-created fishbowl, not what others might be saying about him.
The man needs help. Fast.
If you took the pre Cana classes then the church got the permission for you. :)
He'll eventually come around and all will be well.
I married a Jewish man, and we also went to Pre-Cana conference and did NOT get permission from the Bishop to marry him!
It sounds like he DID start his own Church!! I had NO idea it wasn’t a Roman Catholic Church he belonged to.....and not sanctioned by the Vatican? What Priest says Mass there??
NO ONE but a PRIEST or a DEACON can give a SERMON ! It’s against Canon Law!
Sounds like he pretty much did.
I knew he wasn’t much of a conservative, but was willing to cut him some slack. I still think he was inspired when he made that movie, but he’s now at about the same level as Kiefer Sutherland, and that’s pretty low.
Well, they call it a sermon, but it probably wasn’t the actual homily. We don’t officially HAVE sermons.
Bah. Then he’s have corn fed country girls beating a path to his door. Hey, it’s a tough dilemma. I don’t have a lot of temptation in this area, but he was the big Old Catholic guy, let him walk the walk. He’s probably just waiting for the fling to be over then he’ll “fess up.” He better just hope he doesnt die in the meantime, in a state of rebellion.
These people are sedevacantists, if I’m not mistaken.
One could be practicing outside the Church yet not be a sedevacantist. In other words, a person could believe that the chair is not vacant (and the Pope is legitimate), yet prefer to worship outside for whatever reason. But generally what you say is true.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.