Posted on 03/05/2004 6:35:43 AM PST by Maximilian
During the filming of the now-famous movie, The Passion of the Christ, Mass was held at 7:30 each morning in a converted office at Cinema City at the east side of Rome (when filming was there), and presiding for much of the time was Father Stephen F. Somerville of Queensville, Ontario, near Toronto, who has detailed the fashion in which Mel Gibson prepared spiritually for the shooting -- confirming Gibson's taste for the pre-Vatican II liturgy.
"I said Mass for seven weeks of the filming," Father Somerville told Spirit Daily. "It was the old Latin Mass, the traditional Latin Mass -- not the new Mass in Latin. It was the old Catholic Mass that was used until the 1960s."
Father Somerville -- who, though traditionalist, technically remains under the jurisdiction of the Toronto archbishop -- said that many of those working on the movie couldn't make Mass because they had to apply make-up. "So we just had a small group of people, five or six on the average, and Jim Caviezel often came, but he particularly had to go for a long siege with the make-up artists, so sometimes I would give him Communion with a Host reserved from Mass," says the priest. "We converted a small room into a chapel. We improvised a decent-looking altar, and Mel sent somebody out to buy everything we needed -- vestments, nice candles. There were a few chairs and a sofa and there it was. Mel knelt on his knees on the floor behind me and answered the prayers in perfect Latin."
At times Caviezel would attend Father Somerville's Mass in full costume before the day's shoot -- though not during the bloody scourging scenes.
About 25 square feet in size, the tiny chapel had a few chairs and a simple wooden table raised against one wall to act as an altar. Above the table, the wall was decorated with various religious ornaments, including a picture of the Virgin Mary. Father Somerville had previously noted that he always began and ended Mass with a hymn, something that Gibson, joining in with his monotone, seemed to enjoy.
Somerville said he was there for the trial scenes. He didn't note any miracles, but emotions flowed. "There were some moments of strong feeling on the set," he recalls. "I was there for the scourging."
Asked about the role of German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich -- who some have tried to downplay as an influence -- Father Somerville said that Gibson "made practical use of Emmerich in the movie. A lot of the details that you see visually in the movie are in the Emmerich book."
Father Somerville says that Gibson is "more of an extremist traditionalist Catholic than I am. He's not as hard-line as his father, but nevertheless," adding: "Many films about Christ have been made. But this one was made by a master actor and director with profound Christian conviction."
Somerville said that he "has become a traditionalist priest" though he is now retired and doesn't have a church. He met Gibson's father Hutton while filling in for a traditionalist priest at St. Jude's Shrine in Stafford, Texas, near Houston, where Hutton was living. When asked if he was loyal to Rome, Father Somerville said he is "loyal to Rome but I'm loyal to the Rome of all time, not just the Rome of right now. John Paul is the Pope and I respect him, but I disagree with many things that he is teaching."
In October of 2002 a letter by Father Somerville renouncing liturgical reform was posted by the St. Pius X Society. The Society is associated with a schismatic bishop, Marcel Lefebvre, and suppressed by the Vatican. Lefebvre was excommunicated for illicitly consecrating priests, but since then there have been attempts at reconciliation.
Mel Gibson may or may not be a sedevacantist, I don't know for sure. However, I would not believe anything coming from Catholic Answers. These are the same people who make a hobby out of slandering other traditional Catholics like Gerry Matatics by throwing around accusations of "anti-semitism." Kind of reminds you of Abe Foxman, doesn't it?
If Mel Gibson's parish isn't (according to Cardinal Mahony) under the juristiction of the Archdiocese of LA it may be LC since the Legionairies of Christ isn't under the juristiction of the local ordinary - or am I wrong?
I assume that this was acknowledgement of material assistance. I know that a Jesuit did the translations of Aramaic and Latin in the script. The Legionaries probably provided similar kinds of help.
Mel Gibson is almost certainly not associated with the SSPX. I'm sure that they are glad to get so much publicity for the traditional Catholic cause, but I don't believe there is any direct connection.
Fr. Stephen Somerville, who is the subject of this article is officially a priest of the diocese of Toronto, but I understand that he is currently cooperating with the SSPX. Since the SSPX is just a society of priests, and they provide pastoral services to lots of traditional Catholics, priests from lots of different affiliations work with the SSPX to offer the traditional Latin Mass to various chapels around the world. I believe the same applies to Fr. Stephen Zigrang who was the subject of last year's controversy down in Houston. He is not a member of the SSPX, but he works in cooperation with them to provide the Latin Mass to traditional Catholics.
I didn't realize that he ever was teaching there.
That's a tough one. I'm not sure of the answer, maybe another person here can help you. I'm glad that you are recognizing that it's difficult and problematic to try to interpret the Bible (KJV or any other) on your own. That's why a really good study guide is recommended. Unfortunately, virtually all the study guides written in the past 40 years have been terrible.
The only good one I know of is the Haydock Bible. It combines the Douay-Rheims Bible (which is the one you should be reading if you are Catholic) with a traditional study guide. Unfortunately, I don't think it's on the web, and it's rather expensive in print (although well worth it). Here is one source:
Catholic Treasures Douay-Rheims Haydock Bible
The crown jewel of all publications by Catholic Treasures is the magnificent reprint, photographically reproduced from a very large old Bible first printed in 1884. The commentary covers from one-third to one-half of the space of every page and was selected by the highly respected Father George Leo Haydock. Throughout the 1800's the best known Douay-Rheims Bibles were known as "Haydock's Bibles" because of the powerful footnotes or commentary that was selected by Fr. Haydock to help the faithful to understand Scripture according to the mind of the Church. The Haydock commentary in this edition was taken from a Bible originally printed in 1812 and includes the Saints who were given the title "Father of the Church" because of their outstanding writings explaining Holy Scripture. Fr. Haydock also included notes from other eminent scholars which soundly refute Protestant errors on various passages from the Bible which give important historical explanations to help every reader to better understand God's Holy Word. This edition of the Douay-Rheims Old and New Testaments contains a Bible Dictionary which is Illustrated. Although the commentary is smaller than the text, the average reader should have no difficulty reading these tremendous explanations. There is no commentary more accurate and true than that of the Fathers of the Church. The study of the writings of the Fathers is termed Patrology. Where the Church has spoken, everyone must be of one mind in holding the understanding and sense of any Scripture word or verse. With this edition it is possible for all to hold those passages of Scripture with the mind of the Church. We can know what Our Lord wants us to know with certainty. No more opinions of so-called "experts" or faithless theologians. Bible study-groups can now come alive with the truth and knowledge we have been hungry for. 2 Vol. ITEM #11050 $99.00
That would have been a couple years back. Gerry Matatics still lives in Scranton, but the seminary has moved to Lincoln, Neb. Most likely it was the geographic separation that led to him not teaching there anymore.
The claims that Mel Gibson has anything to do with the SSPX schism may well be greatly exaggerated. Note the confusing use of the term Traditional Catholic by many of the schismatics even to describe the excommunicated Lefebvre and the other excommunicated SSPX bishops. This is the misuse of words in service to propaganda. No matter how sincere and well-meaning those who adhere to the schism may be, it is still a schism and NOT Catholic.
Everyone now wants a piece of Gibson because of the film. Everyone wants to bask in the reflected glory of his achievement. He may be SSPX. He may be SSPV. He may be sedevacantist. He may be instead of any of those things a Roman catholic fully in communion with the Holy See. We all ought to pay him the respect of either publicly stating what he is or not stating as he sees fit.
There is also the question that arises because this chapel is in the notorious Archdiocese of Los Angeles laid waste for years now by Roger Cardinal Mahoney. If Mahoney says that the chapel is not regular and approved by the archdiocese, why has Mahoney not moved against it? Certainly not because of any orthodoxy of Mahoney.
See NaCR return to "Catholicism" when: We announce to you a great joy: The conclave has elected the former superior general of the Benedictine Order and Archbishop Emeritus of Milwaukee as Pope Rembert I.... and then, "We, Rembert, in the first hour of our papacy, hereby name Frances Kissling to be the new head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard to be the head of a new Congregation on Social Life, Roger Cardinal Mahoney to be the head of the new Congregation on Church Architecture....."
I regret that we have not kept up with him but he told us details of the split with Karl Keating. I have also questioned two friends who worked for Keating in San Diego and who are supportive of Keating in the mtter. I take Gerry's side without regarding the situation as one that totally discredits Keating. We all have our faults.
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