Statement of Cardinal Lehmann,  March 2003

The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson

[ Cardinal Karl Lehmann is President of the German Bishops' Conference (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz). Translation by Herbert Immenkoetter.]

 

The Journalism Commission gave a report on the picture "The Passion of the Christ" to the German Bishop's Conference last week. The Archbishop of Hamburg Dr. Werner Thissen too had the opportunity to see this picture in advance that will start in Germany on March, 18^th 2004. The movie has already started a controversial discussion.

This passion play movie deals with a central problem of faith. However with its drastically produced presentation of cruelties and atrocities it minimizes the central message of the holy gospel. This applies especially with an audience that is not familiar with Christian faith. It can easily lead to misunderstandings. For a thoughtful perspective we sternly recommend complementary assistance of various kind to enable the spectators to accomplish a critical understanding in order to judge for themselves the many problems that are sure to arise.

As far as anti-Semitism is concerned local parishes and their priests are highly responsible to guarantee that the holy gospel and its teaching about passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ signifies the redemption of the whole world and does not lay blame on any group of mankind. With regard to the Jews and all Jewish people the teaching of the gospel has to be accomplished according to the intercession for the Jews on Good Friday: may God preserve the Jews in loyalty to his covenant and in the love to his name. We earnestly warn all Christians/Catholics against any misconception of the passion of Jesus Christ.

The German Bishopric's internet site (www.dbk.de) offers various assistance for information under the keyword "Passion". Ecclesiastical publications such as "film-dienst" and "Herder-Korrespondenz" as well as catholic academies and schools are sure to provide further information