Do you really think the Pope reviewed Gibsons, The Passion of the Christ?

[trumad]

Let alone understood what the hell he was watching?

Apparently the Vatican is denying that it gave it 2 trembling thumbs up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3418981.stm

[Loonman]

1. The Pope does not do movie reviews

That's what the aide dude, said.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. i beg to differ..the Pope was an ACTOR by craft before becoming a priest!

thus by nature he is quite interested in movies and theater!

[rooboy]

2. Apparently that rabid moron "Mancow" on Faux reviewed it...

so you know it must be good... :puke:

[blondeatlast]

3. Even if it wasn't the Pope who ventured (or didn't) an opinion,

from what I understand about the film, the Vatican isn't going to "approve" this in any way. I als don't think that silence from the Vatican equals approval.

I would sincerely hope that they are smarter and more politically savvy than that.

I suspect it was just wingnut Mel offering the Pope a free movie night. Hope he brought the popcorn!

I think it's terribly presumptuous of Mel to expect the Vatican to endorse the film--I believe they learned their lesson about that sort of thing a while ago.

[Loonman]

4. The Vatican doesn't endorse anything except their own party line

I find the "humorous" remarks on the Pope's mental and physical condition to be rude, though.



If you have a relative with Parkinson's, would you want me to make fun of them?

[trumad]

6. Oh please

And yes I do have a close relative with Parkinsons... I'm guessing you didn't find Martin Shorts impersonation of Kate Hepburn funny either. My point is...is that I think the Pope is so far gone he couldn't possibly have seen that movie.

[blondeatlast]

7. Doesn't matter whether he saw it or not--they don't endorse anything.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

5. i believe he did but with his failing health & wannabe Popes in the wings

(Cardinal Ratzinger to name just one, www.ratzingerfanclub.com/ )someone may have succumbed to pressure from outside, there are many anti-catholic groups, the ADL and with all the recent attacks aimed at a powerful supporter of peace and social justice (the catholic church) who has records of US coups, and US involvement in horrible acts committed against humanity in South America and around the globe .... i always question the validity and motivation of the sources of these stories :shrug:... my $0.02

Oscar Romero
Ploughshares
Everado

[blondeatlast]

8. BTW, there is NO indication in that story that the Vatican

did anything more than screen it.

Show me where "they" have endorsed it.

[radwriter0555]

10. oh please. the man is lucky he found his ground up pasta, and folks think

he watched a movie?

Well they still think that jesus guy is coming back too.

And they say gullible ain't in the dictionary....

[arwalden]

11. I Almost Asked A Similar Question In Another Thread About This Subject...

... but decided not to. Even after I had already typed it out, I simply clicked the "Back" button instead of the "Submit" button.

-- Allen

[GringoTex]

12. I've actually seen the film

and it's fantastic- a powerful piece of cinema. Which of course will stoke the fires of controversy even more.

[wuushew]

15. How did you see it? Aren't screenings by invite only

The movie is not even out yet.

[newyawker99]

16. Hi GringoTex!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Scurrilous]

13. When I was a child...

...many years ago, the local Catholic newspaper used to rate movies. These ratings came down from on high from somewhere in the Roman Catholic hierarchy. They reserved their blackest mark (C) for any movie containing sex, violence, or blasphemy of any sort. It meant the movie was condemned. You weren't allowed to see it under penalty of sin. To me, the (C) was a ringing endorsement of the movies merits. If the Catholic church disapproved, it must be good. Conversely, any movie the church approved, I avoided like the plague. It had to suck.

:thumbsup: from the Vatican means a big :thumbsdown: to me.

[blondeatlast]

14. They've stopped doing that (I'm NOT a Catholic, btw).

Please don't give wingnut Gibson any more fodder for his antiu-Semitic cannon.

He's an asshole, period.

[0007]

17. I don't believe the Pope reviewed the film!

But what do I know?

[Cronus Protagonist]

18. I doubt he could stay awake through the opening credits

Didn't he fall asleep at a mass recently?

"FUCK Bush" Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[eissa]

19. My opinion won't go over well

but I'm really jarred by the negative attacks on this film. I haven't seen it and don't know if I will, but the attacks on Gibson and the movie have such a shrill tone to them that really irritates me. I remember when "The Last Temptation of Christ" came out and the religious were up in arms about it. What was the response? "If you don't like it, don't see it." That's been the response to every objection of the right regarding the entertainment industry. So now they have one of their own make a film about Jesus. So what? I worry the attacks will backfire on us. I've already heard comments like, "So the movie "Moses" is an epic masterpiece, but a film about Jesus is anti-semetic?"