I cannot believe this is even a question. While I like certain aspects of THE PASSION, I can see that it would not be to everyone’s taste. The idea that there is any moral obligation to watch it is completely ludicrous.

I encourage everyone to read James Bowman’s review of the The Passion here: http://www.jamesbowman.net/reviewDetail.asp?pubID=1489 because I agree with him that people are blissfully unaware that in addition to the two languages here, Aramaic and Latin, there is a third language of Hollywood Movieish—a language that has been poisoning our imaginations for a long time.

Obviously, one does not have to watch it. However, it has powerful images in it that one can use to grow spiritually closer to Our Blessed Lord. It brings a little taste of His Suffering to our doorsteps.

That poor caller needs to find a better source of spiritual advice than the people she has been talking to. It sounds as though she is picking up random opinions from people who can’t distinguish between personally chosen devotions and actual Catholic doctrine.

I have never watched Mel Brooks’ The Passion of Christ. Nor do I wish too. Nor do I think that anybody should watch it.

;-)

These days, I don’t really have time to watch television—-including EWTN——let alone ANY movie. I no longer have any movie channels on my cable system because of the expense.

I know we are all expressing opinion here, but to suggest that no one watch the film is absurd.  Morally obligated?  Of course not.  But the viewer can have a strong emotional, almost moral reaction to The Passion of the Christ.

I thought it was too violent when I first watched it.  However, there is not only scriptural basis for the violence,  but also considerable historical evidence as well.  To ponder Christ’s sufferings and the enormity of the weight of the sins of every one of us that he sought to obliterate is overwhelming.

Despite it’s flaws, I recommend that everyone see it.  Approach it as an artist’s historical rendering.  Consider the truth.

And contemplate your role in the Lord’s violent suffering and death.

A blessed Easter to all.

And no one HAS to look at Michelangelo’s Pieta.

I fall on the side of those who would encourage others to watch it. Let me share my story about the Passion. In 2004 I was just minding my own business being a devout evangelical protestant(having left Catholicism 31 years earlier to become a “born-again” Christian.) Our pastor bought a full theater full of tickets to the Passion so we could take others to “lead them to Christ.”  Well, I just took my family. Mid-way through the scenes on the Via Crucis, I knew I had to surrender to Jesus. Yeah, I had “been saved” in 1973 when I asked Jesus into my heart, but when I saw his suffering so graphically displayed, I knew I had to surrender myself for real.  I said “God, since you did this for me, I will do anything for you.” well, the very next thought I had was “You will even become Catholic.”  The was the last thing I wanted to do, but I left the theater knowing I had to convert. I started reading Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray and when I read about the early Church Fathers describing the Eucharist as the way the Catholics do even now, that was it. I was convinced, I had to come back. That was 8 years ago. 1600 blog posts later, an appearance on EWTN’s Journey Home, a Catholic themed music CD, I still have the burning desire to share with everyone, the beautiful treasures of grace that await anyone who would surrender to Christ and His Church. My life has been changed in ways I never could have imagined, even as a former “devout” evangelical Christian all as a result of God’s grace reaching me through a Hollywood movie. Who would’ve known?  www.crossedthetiber.com

Having watched the film a couple of times, I strongly recommend it to all serious Christians as a powerful visual representation of the Lord’s Passion. Roman crucifixion was a truly horrible form of execution, so much so that Roman citizens were legally protected from having it imposed on them. We ought to understand as deeply as possible what our Lord endured for our salvation. The scenes from the film give me much to ponder when I pray, for example, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. I further recommend the written work upon which the film is based, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich’s _The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ_.

I saw the Passion when it first came out on Good Friday. This was also the last time that I went to the movies. Two women sat behind me, one with pop-corn, candy and a drink, telling her friend that she couldn’t watch a movie without this and I am thinking: I hope that she is NOT a Catholic as this is THE day of fasting and penance; but, when the movie started, she stopped eating. On screen, seeing this for the first time, it was a very emotional experience, even though some of the scenes made very little sense, and what actually happened to Jesus was toned down. His sufferings were much greater than shown. I wished that he had Mary of Agreda’s “Mystical City of God” to go by and to leave out all of the Hollywood stuff. It is amazing how many people didn’t and still don’t realize that this was a movie and not a historical show. Every one should have a copy of the Mystical City of God” and read about what happened to Jesus as was told by Our Blessed Lady to Mary of Agreda, which has been read and highly endorsed by various Popes, with the Holy See giving a blessing on those that read a couple of pages every day. I bought the DVD of Mel’s Passion, which was not a good idea, as I have been able to see all of the stuff that took away from the truth. I did make a copy to eliminate some of the garbage that was unnecessary. +JMJ+

“...Others wonder if they should but are hesitant to do so because of the intense nature of the film’s depiction of Christ’s sufferings…” Oh yes, I get it. It’s too violent, so let’s go watch Hunger Games instead.
“Most people—including, I’m sure, the caller—would recognize that people managed to be good Catholics before the movie came out…” Exactly how do people manage to be good Catholics, particularly when 70% never attend mass on Sundays, and fewer than 10% go to confession each year? The Catholic churh never told us we had to see any movie. But there are moral obligations to attend mass and confession. This is basic doctrine that anyone who calls himself Catholic should already know. And if he doesn’t, he should drag himself to the movie to learn something, or stop identifying himself as Catholic.

In my book Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners, Passion of the Christ is one of the almost 200 films I cover from 1905 to 2008.  I note that it is barely watchable at times because of the brutality.  Yet, picturing the brutality is an inevitable part of filming the reality of the crucifixion(unlike the gratuitous portrayal of violence in Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and the Matrix lauded by many of the same critics who disingenuously decried The Passion).  Gibson did release a less graphic version but nonetheless the original version did reach many people.
While not an essential (since it may not be everyone’s cup of tea and they might choose other films for viewing at Easter) it did have many important effects beyond showing that films with religious themes could do very well commercially.  First, Gibson was attempting to show the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice for us and second, on a more personal level, to exorcise his own demons and, in the process, to encourage some in the audience to do the same Anecdotal reports of people, after seeing the film, turning themselves in for crimes that they committed suggest that he may have succeeded on both counts. For those who do not wish to take in the entire film, one suggestion is to take the film in small doses as a supplement to Jesus of Nazareth or The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Catholics have sought to come closer to understanding Christ’s passion from the beginning. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land to follow the Via Crucis, local public reenactments, attending Lenten Stations of the Cross have been forms of Catholic devotion for centuries. Whatever Mel Gibson’s personal faults may be, he deserves many blessings for re-creating The Passion of Christ on film in such a powerful fashion and, thereby, making the story accessible to so many millions of people. Watching the film on Good Friday for religious purposes can be a form of personal devotion from which Catholics and others can certainly benefit.

I have a Crucifix in my bedroom because that is what I was brought up with in my parents home and my Church. I saw The Passion and it was hard for me to see all that torture just as I cannot see or hear of the horrific things happening in the world today without it touching me deeply. A priest on EWTN carries a very large realistic crucifix of Christ when he preaches and I don’t like looking at that either. Also there is a huge cross with true depiction on EWTN. I am a realistic person, having gotten along on my own for the past 26 yrs since my husband died but I do not like to see horror. I sometimes wonder if many Catholics are so used to looking at the Crucifix that they almost ignore it.  Jesus’ death was the most horrible and people today do similar torture. From what I have learned, in bible study, Jesus had his own way of teaching because people were not educated in those days as they are today. Much was by example. (example teaches a lot more than words) Shortly after my husband died, I made a Cursia and in making the Way of the Cross, without thinking of it I put my husband in Jesus’ place. “In the Garden’, [my husband contemplated his illness, knowing it would end up in death.] “Jesus is whipped” [my husband’s pain] Jesus carries his Cross” [my husband bore his cross/his pain], Jesus Falls a Third Time [the ups and downs of an illness] Jesus is nailed to the Cross—My God Why Have Thou Forsaken Me [my husband thinks of leaving his wife & children and not seeing his grandchildren grow up] Jesus dies on the Cross [my husband died with the Cross he carried] (I could go on abt. this).  Maybe you people think of me as a “nut” of some kind, but to me Jesus taught us everything in life. He SHOWED US. Through the 15 months of my husband’s illness JESUS LET ME KNOW THAT I WAS NOT ALONE. saw42s Everyone in life has a Cross to bear, whether with sickness or a drugged up child or a mentally disabled, etc. JESUS TAUGHT US HOW TO BEAR IT AND GET THROUGH IT.  [I also think that Good Friday is a good time to see the Passion to remind us what Jesus did for us] The Risen Christ tells us that Heaven is awaiting us.

Really? People knocking this movie because….uh….it’s a movie? Y’know, I thought Catholics had a better grasp on art and spirituality. Hey, don’t like it? Then don’t watch it. Relax. Mel Gibson won’t haunt you in your dreams. For those of us who are more open to it as a spiritual journey, and who can cope with it, there is NOTHING wrong with viewing it.

Some have a gift of being very sensitive to the suffering of others. They really do not ‘need’ to see the passion in order to fully understand Christ’s suffering; a crucifix is enough for a full understanding.

I think the question to ask is “Will seeing this movie be spiritually fruitful?”  Not everyone responds spiritually to the same things.  There are various ways, and various artistic forms which one can use to enter into the Passion more deeply without battering one’s sensibilities.  I found “The Passion” too violent and it did nothing for me as a Catholic.  Some of the violence was realistic, but some of it was just gratuitous because Mel can’t make a dramatic movie without stuffing a gruesome scene into it every five minutes (Apocalypto anyone?).  We didn’t need to see a crow pecking out the eyes of the “bad” thief, or Roman Soldiers throwing a chained Jesus over a bridge for fun.  Some of it was poignant, (the scourging scene gave us an idea of what a horrific Roman scourging really was like,) but some of it was over the top, and more shocking than helpful.  The Church has a treasury of passion art to suit any number of sensibilities

I’ve watched the movie & even have a copy of the DVD ... I find it overly grahpic & think the level of gore a distraction ... I’d suggest that for most people their Good Friday would be better spent doing the Stations of the Cross in their local church or the saying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary ...

Too much theorizing and analysis here. The Film is a tool for remembering and meditation so stop carrying on about it.

Around this time of year, ABC shows the “Ten Commandments,” and I never tire of seeing it. You can see the parallels between the Old & New Testaments.
I have no desire to see the “Passion” but did look through a companion book to the movie.  It had some text and lots of stills from the movie.  That was good enough for me. Hearing the Gospel is enough for me!

I was listening to the radio and I remember when the young lady called in about watching this movie.  She felt torn because some Catholics told her that she “had to watch it” but she already had a vivid idea of Christ’s suffering in her mind - and it seemed as if she wept about it on occasion (at least thats my take).  Jimmy correctly told her not to watch it now because she was not in a state to be able to do it - maybe sometime in the future, or maybe never - which would be fine.

Raddix (Doug Barry, EWTN) does a good play of the Passion, more info here www.excerptsofinri.com/radix_the_passsion_of_christ

My opion is that the visuals bring the gory torturuous reality to life for us.  Which is a good education for those of us who maybe do not understand the reality.  But although there is a lot of historical acuracy, there is also is NOT historical accuracy in some places.  What disappointed most was that the film ends with the death of Jesus - as if to say that he never rose from the dead - and that he is just dead!  I was a little relieved to see a 2 second screen shot at the end of Jesus sitting on the stone inside the tomb, but that was when the credits were running.

My husband watches the Passion every Good Friday.  Last year I watched it with him and barely made it through (cried nonstop), but it led to a very good discussion and prayers afterwards.  This year I am 9 months pregnant and couldn’t even be in the other room assembling baby furniture hearing the noises of the torture instruments and the emotional music, cries of Christ etc.  No spiritual fruit for me this year, just a puddle of hormonal tears.  :)

On a related note, I really want to see Schindler’s List all the way through when I am not pregnant, but I just can’t deal with the level of explicitness of the disturbing material.  For my part I can’t see the benefit in so much gore, but then again most people aren’t as sensitive.  Still, couldn’t we get the same message with a combination of, say, 75% innuendo and 25% explicitness?  After a while you kind of go numb to the relentless blood/guts/evil/horror.

I have not seen the movie and really do not feel a need to do so.

I watch Passion of the Christ from the scourging through the Crucifixion every Holy Week.  It connects me in a real and human way to not only my God and Savior Jesus Christ, but also with His holy mother, Mary.  It is a good reminder of the unredeemed savagery of humans under Original Sin (including me), as well as the sure promise of salvation in the Holy Person of Jesus, His Body, His Blood and His Divine Mercy.  I cry my guts out and feel sick when I watch the film.  That is an appropriate response to this historically accurate rendering of what Our Savior suffered for love of us.

I don’t think anyone has to watch this to be a “good Catholic,” but it has helped me become a better one as far as I am concerned.  Watching this film has become a spiritual exercise for our family since I first saw the Mel Gibson film.  We have a mild-animated version for our kids to watch.  For my wife, who was not Catholic until 2005, she finally “got” the whole “Mary thing” as she referred to it, seeing this film, she said, “she was his mother! I got it”  She know has a devotion that brings her even closer to Jesus that she ever could have imagined.  As for me, growing up, I did not know what scourging was.  I had no idea, but thanks to this film, I do now.  It really helps put in perspective how small our sacrifices really are to remain in a state of grace, and when I fall to reflect on His passion, I respond with true sorrow and strength to turn back to Him.

I have never watched this movie, and I do not intend to do so.  I liked Patrick’s comment about the scarcity of detail regarding the actual crucifixion in the Gospels themselves. It is enough for me to participate in the Passion Sunday and Good Friday readings, being part of the crowd, shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”  Furthermore, Mel Gibson’s message about anything is tainted in my eyes, because he is every bit as disobedient in his actions as any Catholic politician or Hollywood figure who speaks in favor of abortion “rights.”  His disobedience is on the other end of the ideological spectrum, but it is disobedience, nonetheless.  Let’s pray for him and for the unity of the Church according to the Lord’s will, not our own wills.

Yes, there is a scarcity of detail in the Gospels. There was also a scarcity of apostles in attendance. Peter and others were probably scared, confused, and a little self-absorbed at the time. Yet there was John, the most-loved apostle. He was there witnessing the horror…along with the Victim’s mother. And there Christ appeared later to John, standing…as if slain. Did those in attendance “need” to watch the crucifixion? Or were they moved to do so?

If the caller really was told that watching the movie was a must, then it sounds like some ignorant people gave some really bad advice and the caller was too quick to lend it credence.

But let’s not judge those who are moved to watch the movie by taking the supposed higher ground of “not needing to watch it”. We are all in different places. Christ knows this. He never asked us to look at art depicting the crucifixion. But he did lovingly acknowledge Mary and John who were present at the time.

I watched it this Good Friday evening for the first time since it came out on DVD. I’ve had alot of different experiences in the last few years which have tested my faith, but also made it stronger. It was like I was watching it for the first time.

I first watched the Passion of the Christ last year when I was 13. I found the scourging and the crucifixion particularly frightening, and I wept even when it was over, but now, when I pray the Rosary, I can think of those scenes while praying the Sorrowful mysteries and it helps me to remember how much Christ suffered for us.

You have no idea what you are rejecting. You spit upon God’s mercy and grace that was paid for through the death of His only-begotten Son. When you expire, or when He returns (whichever comes first) it will be too late to say “I’m sorry.”

His Love is a free gift. Do you always smear those who love you the most? God is so close to you and knows so much more about you than you ever will…until your ungratefulness is shown to you as in a mirror.

Repent and believe in the Name of the only One that is able to save your soul from eternal death – Jesus Christ.

Uh….what? Where’d that come from and exactly who is it directed at? Been keeping an eye on this blog since Easter and your comment seems…truthful but slightly out of context. But….thanks.

Whether you view the movie or not, I cannot judge another person’s commitment to Christ.  On the other hand, seeing a crucifix hanging on a wall or carrying a rosary for me doesn’t cut it.  The Romans were master executioners.  As brutal as the nailing of Jesus’ hands and feet to cross were, equally powerful was Jesus being scouraged at the pillar with the Roman cat of nine tails in which metal hooks tore chunks of flesh from the back of Jesus.  Isaiah’s prophesy is that He would appear almost inhuman and unrecognizable which Gibson ensures that point of Isaiah is underscored.  The movie is a stark and serious reminder of the heavy price Jesus paid for our sins.  Going to mass and singing kumbaya has isolated us and sanitized what we once knew as the “most precious blood.  Scripture says that “For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin” and “He who knew no sin became sin.”  One also comes to grip with the fact the Romans didn’t crucify Jesus,—-you and I did.

Like any other elective spiritual exercise, it is for the individual to decide if it is an aid or a setback to his/her Lenten reflections. I happen to find it moving and useful as a proper meditation.
Try pausing it and praying the Stations of the Cross as each station happens. I found that to be quite stirring.

I watch The Road Warrior every Maundy Thursday.

I think this is taking a movie way too seriously.

I am a person who once said that every Catholic should watch this movie. I hadn’t seen it myself, but I did feel it was my duty to watch it. Just a duty I wasn’t yet prepared to fulfill. I had an excellent discussion with some ladies who showed me the error of my thinking.

I never meant anyone any ill for insisting that we/they should see the film. I just believed that we should all know what Jesus actually did for us and that this film would be a good way to do that. I’ve since learned that there are plenty of other ways to love Jesus.

I do think that everyone should *consider* watching this movie and then make a decision as to whether it really would be to their spiritual growth to do so. Revisiting the decision couldn’t hurt, but if someone knows it’s not a good movie for them, no need to feel they are “less than” for it.

I myself like this movie and watch it every Good Friday.  To me it is more moving than the Stations of the Cross and even though it shows horrendous tortures. these are the things Jesus really went through.  Now, if I had small children (which I don’t) I might have second thoughts on this,

I remember in Catholic school we had to attend the Stations of the Cross each Friday during Lent and to me this was much worse than watching the Passion of Christ.

After watching this movie, no one should be complaining of their aches and pains after watching what Jesus went through voluntarily to achieve our salvation.

Amazing Question…

The Passion of the Christ is fiction not Scripture. Mr. Gibson did a fantastic job on his interpretation, but is it inspired?

My family has seen the film every year since it came out. I particularly find the scourging and the crucifixion appalling, and have not myself managed to actually “watch” these scenes all the way through. I’m still not “mature” enough for an “R” film I suppose.

The film makes an excellent interpretation, and works hard to be faithful to Faith. Still there are movie questions; how do we know of Pilate’s conversation with his wife, what happened to Annas, who would let our Mother wonder around a Roman barracks, etc.? (Why is Satan holding a baby beast?)

It’s a great film, and I highly recommend it…

but hey…

don’t mistake the footnotes of your study bible for Scripture…

and don’t confuse The Passion for Scripture either.

It is not a duty to watch Mel Gibson’s movie. He is not a good moral example.