Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

The Bishop Writes

"The Passion of the Christ"

by Bishop William S. Skylstad

(From the March 18, 2004 edition of the Inland Register)

The question I am asked most frequently these days is, “Have your seen the movie The Passion of the Christ? I have.

Never has a religious movie drawn such attention at the box office. Clearly, it has struck a vibrant cord in the hearts of many. The media hype beforehand lent considerably to the intense interest surrounding its release on Ash Wednesday. The USCCB Office for Film and Broadcasting classifies it A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rates it R – restricted. The latter rating is due to the graphic violence in the movie. The difference of these ratings is interesting in itself.

Personally, I would recommend seeing the movie. I found it moving, a source of very graphic meditation on the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life before his death on the cross. I did not pick up a sense of anti-Semitism. I felt much antipathy towards the Roman soldiers who ultimately oversaw these last hours of Jesus before his death. Some complained that the giddiness of these soldiers and their callous attitude toward the suffering of Jesus was overdone. One has to remember the days would soon come in the Roman Empire when Christians were torn apart by wild animals in the amphitheater to great delight of the crowds.

Certainly the scenes of scourging and the crowning of thorns were grisly. Arguably, they seem to be drawn out. However, the violence portrayed was not the kind of violence one finds regularly in films and television that seem to attract for the wrong reasons. Putting sticks of dynamite in the back of a speeding car to roll it over or cause it to blow up in a spectacular fashion is not the methodology of The Passion. The violence is portrayed harshly, as it certainly was. Yet, it is sobering, pointing out the love of Jesus for all of humanity through his suffering.

I liked the flashbacks to Jesus’ earlier life. The Scriptural passages were well chosen. I thought especially the reflection back to the scene of the Last Supper with its Eucharistic overtones was well done. The account of the passion of Jesus in the four Gospels covers just a few pages, so there is a lot of “fill in” for a two-hour movie. One can always quibble about what was added that wasn’t Scriptural, but for the most part these additions were tastefully done.

There has been some complaint that at the end of the movie not enough emphasis was placed upon the Resurrection. The scene was added very briefly as a coda. Perhaps there will be a sequel.

In the Feb. 16 issue of the magazine America, Dr. Eugene Fisher of the USCCB Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs wrote an article titled “The Bible, The Jews, and The Passion.” He quotes Pope John Paul II: “Erroneous and unjust interpretations of the New Testament regarding the Jewish people and their alleged culpability have circulated in the western world far too long, engendering feelings of hostility toward this people.” He indicates several concerns when viewing the movie:

• The responsibility of Jesus’ death lies with us all. “We cannot lay responsibility for the trial of Jesus on the Jews in Jerusalem as whole.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #597) This echoes the sentiment of the Council of Trent in 1542.
• There must be a strong commitment to bring out the meaning of the Gospel in light of Scriptural studies. The readings must be placed in context.
• There are many different groups in first century Judaism: Sadducees, zealots, apocalypticists, Herodians, Hellenists, scribes, sages, miracle workers, Pharisees. In the Gospel of Matthew, where we find the strongest criticism of the Pharisees, the Apostle says only the chief priests, scribes, and elders were involved in Jesus’ arrest and trial. Actually, Jesus and the Pharisees agreed on several matters.
• One has to be very careful of stereotyping. Positive images of Jesus and Judaism should be as plentiful, or more plentiful, than negative ones.
• Pilate is portrayed in Matthew’s and John’s Gospels as a wishy-washy administrator. Philo and Josephus, two historians of the time, describe him as a ruthless tyrant. He crucified hundreds of Jews at a time without a trial. Through the eyes of the Gospels, the Romans considered Jesus’ crime as sedition, crucifixion being the form of punishment.
• There is room for more than one dramatic style in portraying the role of Pilate and the chief priests while remaining faithful to the Biblical and historical accounts.

Finally, Dr. Fisher concludes that one of the most significant moments of the Second Vatican Council was the condemnation of the collective guilt against the Jews. “We are all responsible” lies at the heart of the Gospel.

Certainly The Passion of the Christ will focus much discussion of the passion account during this Lenten season. That kind of interaction alone can be very worthwhile.

May God grant all of you joy and peace.

*****

Again this year, I will spend a day in prayer and fasting for all victims of sexual abuse.

On Friday, March 26, I will be in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, 1115 W. Riverside Ave. in Spokane, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please join me in prayer – in person if you can.

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