Hey, I tried.
But would he listen to me?
Posted on 08/22/2005 4:52:02 PM PDT by wagglebee
Sydney, Australia, will spend over $15 million protecting two of the world’s most famous Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI and Mel Gibson, when the city hosts World Youth Day in 2008.
More than 350,000 young Catholics are expected to visit Sydney during the six-day event, which will be sponsored by the Vatican.
A Gibson-directed recreation of the last days of Christ in the streets of Sydney was a major selling point in the city’s successful bid for the event, Australia’s Daily Telegraph reports.
The recreation by Gibson – who directed "The Passion of the Christ” – could involve more than 100 actors. The event would also feature a parade by the Pope through the city.
The Vatican hopes it can recoup some of the $60 million it will spend hosting the event through sponsorships. Taxpayers in the state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, will foot the $15 million bill for security and logistical support, according to the Telegraph.
The state’s Premier Morris Iemma described Youth Day as "Olympics without the sport.”
Benedict XVI/Mel Gibson/2008 World Youth Day Ping
What if Toecutter's gang shows up???
There is no amount of money too much to protect the pope. How can they put a dollar amount on the Pope period?!
Maybe if I were the Pope's advisor I would advise not going to Australia if that's the way they are going to be.
By the way, before I get flamed, I just wanna say I am protest-ant/gentile and dearly love the Pope!
As an Aussie taxpayer, I've no objection at all.
Worth every cent. I can't wait to see Benedict.
I didn't see where the Aussies are upset about the cost, plus they bid for the event.
Heavens, I hope Gibson loses that yucky beard first.
Great! That's 15M into the pockets of Australian security guards, which they can spend on beer and ... whatever they eat in Australia.
Hey, I tried.
But would he listen to me?
The recreation by Gibson – who directed "The Passion of the Christ” – could involve more than 100 actors. The event would also feature a parade by the Pope through the city.
Kudos to Cardinal Pell and the WYD organizers for coming up with this idea. Gibson, as far as I know, has not yet accepted but I'm sure he is tempted by the prospect.
Of course the logistics for such an event hinge on the number of participants. WYD Cologne anticipated 400,000 but more than 1 million showed up. Unlike Toronto which staged only one "Way of the Cross", Cologne disseminated it to various venues. IMHO, the Toronto approach was without peer. The individual chosen to represen Christ not only resembled Him but lead us to Him through his own actions. Accompanying this service was music from the Taize community .... absolutely moving, drawing us into a closer and more personal understanding of these stations.
For now, Australia anticipates 350,000. That's already 100,000 more than 2 days ago. For a Gibson production to succeed, it would seem, the numbers must remain small. Then again, I wouldn't put anything past Mel Gibson.
From Agence France
| SYDNEY -- Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson could play a supporting role to Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Sydney for the next World Youth Day if the prayers of the Catholic Church here are answered. Church leaders worried by the flagging faith of Australians expressed delight Monday at the pope's announcement that he would visit Sydney in July 2008, and set their sights on Gibson recreating the final journey of Christ in the city streets. The pontiff named Sydney as the venue for the next youth festival in an address to more than a million young Catholics in the German city of Cologne on Sunday. "I hope it will strengthen the faith, I hope it will reinforce all those values that make Australian society good, like social justice, solidarity, family life, respect for life," said the catholic archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The Cardinal said earlier this month that if Sydney won the festival it would ask Gibson to recreate the Stations of the Cross as he did in his hit film, "The Passion of the Christ." Gibson's involvement is "something on our wish list," Cardinal Pell told reporters, adding that intermediaries had initiated approaches to the superstar. "He might well be attracted. I think his devotion to Christ is very real," the Cardinal said. The plan to invite Gibson, who was brought up in Australia, was included in bid documents sent by Australia to the Vatican, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The documents made it clear that the church believed the pope's visit would help reinvigorate the Catholic faith in a country where just seven percent of Catholics in their 20s attended mass regularly, the paper said. A little more than a quarter of Australia's population of more than 20 million described themselves as Catholics in a 2001 census, with Anglicans and others taking the total number of professed Christians to 66 percent. Concern over the spiritual health of the youth in a country where church must compete with beaches, shopping malls, surfing and other sports for weekend leisure time, is apparently shared by the Pope. He reportedly singled Australia out as a country where mainstream Christianity was dying out more quickly than anywhere else during a meeting with priests in the Italian Alpine diocese of Aosta on July 25. The comments were part of an improvised talk where Benedict spoke of a crisis for the main Christian churches as people in the West felt self-sufficient, with less need for Christ and Christianity, the Sydney Morning Herald said, quoting the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano. The Pontiff's decision to name Sydney as the host of the next World Youth Day was also hailed by politicians and the tourism industry, which expects at least 80,000 visitors from overseas. Prime Minister John Howard called the decision "a great compliment to Australia, a great compliment to Sydney and very importantly a great compliment to Australia's Catholic community." The festival, created by the late pope John Paul II, was first organized in Rome in 1986 and subsequently held in Poland, Spain, Argentina, the United States, the Philippines and Canada. |
As for Pope Benedict XVI in a parade? I don't think so! |
The recreation by Gibson – who directed "The Passion of the Christ” – could involve more than 100 actors. The event would also feature a parade by the Pope through the city.
Kudos to Cardinal Pell and the WYD organizers for coming up with this idea. Gibson, as far as I know, has not yet accepted but I'm sure he is tempted by the prospect.
Of course the logistics for such an event hinge on the number of participants. WYD Cologne anticipated 400,000 but more than 1 million showed up. Unlike Toronto which staged only one "Way of the Cross", Cologne disseminated it to various venues. IMHO, the Toronto approach was without peer. The individual chosen to represen Christ not only resembled Him but lead us to Him through his own actions. Accompanying this service was music from the Taize community .... absolutely moving, drawing us into a closer and more personal understanding of these stations.
For now, Australia anticipates 350,000. That's already 100,000 more than 2 days ago. For a Gibson production to succeed, it would seem, the numbers must remain small. Then again, I wouldn't put anything past Mel Gibson.
From Agence France
| SYDNEY -- Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson could play a supporting role to Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Sydney for the next World Youth Day if the prayers of the Catholic Church here are answered. Church leaders worried by the flagging faith of Australians expressed delight Monday at the pope's announcement that he would visit Sydney in July 2008, and set their sights on Gibson recreating the final journey of Christ in the city streets. The pontiff named Sydney as the venue for the next youth festival in an address to more than a million young Catholics in the German city of Cologne on Sunday. "I hope it will strengthen the faith, I hope it will reinforce all those values that make Australian society good, like social justice, solidarity, family life, respect for life," said the catholic archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The Cardinal said earlier this month that if Sydney won the festival it would ask Gibson to recreate the Stations of the Cross as he did in his hit film, "The Passion of the Christ." Gibson's involvement is "something on our wish list," Cardinal Pell told reporters, adding that intermediaries had initiated approaches to the superstar. "He might well be attracted. I think his devotion to Christ is very real," the Cardinal said. The plan to invite Gibson, who was brought up in Australia, was included in bid documents sent by Australia to the Vatican, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The documents made it clear that the church believed the pope's visit would help reinvigorate the Catholic faith in a country where just seven percent of Catholics in their 20s attended mass regularly, the paper said. A little more than a quarter of Australia's population of more than 20 million described themselves as Catholics in a 2001 census, with Anglicans and others taking the total number of professed Christians to 66 percent. Concern over the spiritual health of the youth in a country where church must compete with beaches, shopping malls, surfing and other sports for weekend leisure time, is apparently shared by the Pope. He reportedly singled Australia out as a country where mainstream Christianity was dying out more quickly than anywhere else during a meeting with priests in the Italian Alpine diocese of Aosta on July 25. The comments were part of an improvised talk where Benedict spoke of a crisis for the main Christian churches as people in the West felt self-sufficient, with less need for Christ and Christianity, the Sydney Morning Herald said, quoting the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano. The Pontiff's decision to name Sydney as the host of the next World Youth Day was also hailed by politicians and the tourism industry, which expects at least 80,000 visitors from overseas. Prime Minister John Howard called the decision "a great compliment to Australia, a great compliment to Sydney and very importantly a great compliment to Australia's Catholic community." The festival, created by the late pope John Paul II, was first organized in Rome in 1986 and subsequently held in Poland, Spain, Argentina, the United States, the Philippines and Canada. |
As for Pope Benedict XVI in a parade? I don't think so! |
I cannot imagine Gibson not accepting.
The recreation by Gibson – who directed "The Passion of the Christ” – could involve more than 100 actors. The event would also feature a parade by the Pope through the city.
Kudos to Cardinal Pell and the WYD organizers for coming up with this idea. Gibson, as far as I know, has not yet accepted but I'm sure he is tempted by the prospect.
Of course the logistics for such an event hinge on the number of participants. WYD Cologne anticipated 400,000 but more than 1 million showed up. Unlike Toronto which staged only one "Way of the Cross", Cologne disseminated it to various venues. IMHO, the Toronto approach was without peer. The individual chosen to represen Christ not only resembled Him but lead us to Him through his own actions. Accompanying this service was music from the Taize community .... absolutely moving, drawing us into a closer and more personal understanding of these stations.
For now, Australia anticipates 350,000. That's already 100,000 more than 2 days ago. For a Gibson production to succeed, it would seem, the numbers must remain small. Then again, I wouldn't put anything past Mel Gibson.
From Agence France
| SYDNEY -- Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson could play a supporting role to Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Sydney for the next World Youth Day if the prayers of the Catholic Church here are answered. Church leaders worried by the flagging faith of Australians expressed delight Monday at the pope's announcement that he would visit Sydney in July 2008, and set their sights on Gibson recreating the final journey of Christ in the city streets. The pontiff named Sydney as the venue for the next youth festival in an address to more than a million young Catholics in the German city of Cologne on Sunday. "I hope it will strengthen the faith, I hope it will reinforce all those values that make Australian society good, like social justice, solidarity, family life, respect for life," said the catholic archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The Cardinal said earlier this month that if Sydney won the festival it would ask Gibson to recreate the Stations of the Cross as he did in his hit film, "The Passion of the Christ." Gibson's involvement is "something on our wish list," Cardinal Pell told reporters, adding that intermediaries had initiated approaches to the superstar. "He might well be attracted. I think his devotion to Christ is very real," the Cardinal said. The plan to invite Gibson, who was brought up in Australia, was included in bid documents sent by Australia to the Vatican, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The documents made it clear that the church believed the pope's visit would help reinvigorate the Catholic faith in a country where just seven percent of Catholics in their 20s attended mass regularly, the paper said. A little more than a quarter of Australia's population of more than 20 million described themselves as Catholics in a 2001 census, with Anglicans and others taking the total number of professed Christians to 66 percent. Concern over the spiritual health of the youth in a country where church must compete with beaches, shopping malls, surfing and other sports for weekend leisure time, is apparently shared by the Pope. He reportedly singled Australia out as a country where mainstream Christianity was dying out more quickly than anywhere else during a meeting with priests in the Italian Alpine diocese of Aosta on July 25. The comments were part of an improvised talk where Benedict spoke of a crisis for the main Christian churches as people in the West felt self-sufficient, with less need for Christ and Christianity, the Sydney Morning Herald said, quoting the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano. The Pontiff's decision to name Sydney as the host of the next World Youth Day was also hailed by politicians and the tourism industry, which expects at least 80,000 visitors from overseas. Prime Minister John Howard called the decision "a great compliment to Australia, a great compliment to Sydney and very importantly a great compliment to Australia's Catholic community." The festival, created by the late pope John Paul II, was first organized in Rome in 1986 and subsequently held in Poland, Spain, Argentina, the United States, the Philippines and Canada. |
As for Pope Benedict XVI in a parade? I don't think so! |
I would think that the Pope's invitation would be tantamount to a command . . .
Holy Cow.... this is an event to save up for. This woud be amazing.
My parents went to Australia as part of a defense lawyer's thing (my dad was a defense lawyer)... My mom (who is now dead) fell in love with the Koalas.
To see Australia, and the Pope, and a Mel Gibson production... Wow!
In my view, it's definitely money well spent.
Could anyone question the...sense...of such an expenditure (or suggest better uses for the $$$ - no matter who's footing the bill) without being flamed as a CoR-basher?
He only has the beard for a part he will be playing soon. Under and Alone-a true story of a under cover detective.
The body of the story says that the 15 million is the total for all of the security for the entire event. The headline made it sound like that 15 mil was ONLY for Gibson and the Pope. A tad misleading, don't you think?
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