But Is Mel Gibson Catholic?

Pangaeus ^

[Mickey O Neill]

Mel Gibson is an ardent member of the "Latin rite" Catholics, an ultra-conservative Catholic group who border on schismatics that reject the reforms wrought by Roman Catholic Church's Vatican II Council of the late 1960's.

It is sublimely ironic that the Passion's defenders and main media market are those fundamentalist and evangelical Protestant christians, most of whom are anti-ecumenical, utterly anti-Catholic (e.g. Bob Jones university et al) and as doctrine regard Gibson's Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite or not) as the "Whore of Babylon" and the Pope himself as the "Antichrist."

[William McKinley]

You speak entirely too broad.

Yes, there exists a particular strain of evangelicals who consider Catholicism as you say, particularly the version which Gibson's father adheres.

But 99% of evangelicals do not. And it is those who are defending this film, because those who have seen it have said it is a good film that depicts the crucifiction faithfully as described within the Bible.

I think you might have some issues you should get resolved, rather than trying to turn Christians against each other.

[Salvation]

Bumping this again.

I do think that the schismatic part of this story will not benefit the film at all.

It certainly is stalking Gibson.

[Mickey O Neill]

According to the Passion of Christ website http://www.passion-movie.com/english/faq6.html

" Director, actor, and producer Mel Gibson is a Christian who attends Sunday services".

Note not that Mel Gibson is a Roman Catholic who attends weekly Mass (little less that he is Tridentine rite Catholic if not an outright sedevacantist)

Talk about hiding his "light" under a "bushel!"

It seems he wishes to downplay his version of Catholicism in order to reach the Evangelical market since he has 20 million dollars of his own money invested in this movie.

Obviously he does not take into consideration the biblical admonistment “Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise”.


As for evangelicals they seem to consider Catholics fair game for apostasy.

"Salvation comes by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone -- not through any institutional church body, be it Baptist, Catholic or otherwise, That's why we have always sent missionaries even to 'Catholic' countries, because people come to salvation only though personal faith in Jesus Christ."

Jerry Rankin, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board

[Mickey O Neill]

According to the Passion of Christ website http://www.passion-movie.com/english/faq6.html

" Director, actor, and producer Mel Gibson is a Christian who attends Sunday services".

Note not that Mel Gibson is a Roman Catholic who attends weekly Mass (little less that he is Tridentine rite Catholic if not an outright sedevacantist)

Talk about hiding his "light" under a "bushel!"

It seems he wishes to downplay his version of Catholicism in order to reach the Evangelical market since he has 20 million dollars of his own money invested in this movie.

Obviously he does not take into consideration the biblical admonistment “Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise”.


As for evangelicals they seem to consider Catholics fair game for apostasy.

"Salvation comes by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone -- not through any institutional church body, be it Baptist, Catholic or otherwise, That's why we have always sent missionaries even to 'Catholic' countries, because people come to salvation only though personal faith in Jesus Christ."

Jerry Rankin, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board

[Cogito ergo credo]

The site you mentioned is not the official movie site. It seems to be a site directed toward evangelical christians interested in the movie. The question reades "Is Mel Gibson Christian" so I don't find the answer misleading at all. Mel has been very straitforward about his Catholicism in all his interviews. By the way, the official movie site is www.thepassionofthechrist.com/main.html if you are interested.

[Mickey O Neill]

Mel Gibson is hardly straightforward on his Catholicism.

He remains evasive as to wither he is a sedevacantist, that is to say that Pope John XXIII and his successors, are heretics and therefore forfeited the papacy.


He certainly seems a fan of conspiracy theories and in interviews particularly the Sawyer interview questionably as borderline as the characters he has portrayed in his often violent and sadistic movies.

[My back yard]

ping, cause this is the only one I haven't read yet. and I'll read it tomorrow.

[Robert Drobot]

Ditto. BTT!

[SolaGratia]

Gibson told the New yorker reporter that only those in the Catholic church had salvation.

Sept 15 2003
I told Gibson that I am a Protestant, and asked whether his pre-Vatican II world view disqualified me from eternal salvation. He paused. “There is no salvation for those outside the Church,” he said. “I believe it.” He explained, “Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. She's, like, Episcopalian, Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it's just not fair if she doesn't make it, she's better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it.”