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E C U M E N I C A L + I N T E R F A I T H ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH COMMISSION, CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE bulletinPRINT POST PUBLICATION No. PP381667/00474 No. 66, APRIL 2004 from “What Gibson has created is a great cinematic lamentation of Christ’s passion...” - Bishop Mark Coleridge, Melbourne regional bishop to re you going to see the Personal, universal, spiritually Commissions Meet! “ passion film?” stirring ‘No, I've read the book,’ is one or the first time, the Catholic tongue-in-cheek reply. ‘I We ecumenical and interfaith Ecumenical and Interfaith didn’t realise Jesus’ suffering promoters turn now to Pentecost, the FCommission has met with the A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and Uniting Church (Vic.) Ecumenical was as bad as that,’ one mother said intensely after seeing the film. She the proclamation to all people, Relations Committee. On St Patrick’s decided to read accounts of the passion springing from the Easter passion, Day, 17th March 2004, the in each of the four Gospels during Lent. death and resurrection. We hope that Commission met for its meeting at the ‘The passion is only part of His life our vision could be deeply personal to Uniting Church offices in Little Collins story; there’s also the life of miracles and people of all faiths, and of no faith. Street. After a short business meeting, the hope of heaven,’ said an Italian ‘That they may be one.’ Could unity we adjourned to dinner, hosted by the shopkeeper. be truly a universal virtue? We continue Uniting Church ERC. After dinner Yes, the film The Passion of The Christ, to pray so. there was a frank and open exchange has driven Christians to re-visit the Certainly our pathway is often of information. The agenda was Scriptures, to question them, and to draining emotionally as we churches worked out before hand (and turned situate Christ’s suffering in the whole reach out to other faiths, cultures and out to be much too full!). Fr John event of Christ’s Easter death and beliefs, here in Melbourne, Victoria and Dupuche began by sharing information resurrection as we move towards Australia. about our Catholic Interfaith Pentecost. It has also introduced Christ Spiritually stirring? 2004 is already Committee and its work, including our in his sufferings to a wide audience of stirring spiritually, highlighted by the involvement with the VCAT vilification non-believers. The Passion is for people April visit and retreat with Brother case. This was of interest to the UCA of all denominations and faiths, and for Ghislain of the Taize community, committee because they too had people of no commitment or faith. ‘Stranger Danger’ discussions during sought to make an intervention into Bishop Mark Coleridge, Melbourne March with Christians and Jews, and this case. Fr Denis Stanley spoke on regional bishop, writes: the Ecumenical Summer School in Cardinal Kasper’s visit last year and his ‘What Gibson has created is a great February which engaged youth in “The agenda for the Church and David cinematic lamentation of Christ’s Church for the Future.’ There’s much Schütz spoke on the Catholic concept passion, deeply personal, but in its way, more to come as our EIC bulletin of “spiritual ecumenism”. On their universal, visually stunning, emotionally suggests. part, the Uniting Church General draining and spiritually stirring’ (Herald The Passion of Jesus drives us all Secretary, Dr Robert Johnson, shared Sun 29/2). towards Pentecost. information about the decision making process of the Uniting Church, including interrelated councils and the process of consensus seeking. Joan Contents McRae-Benson spoke about how the Uniting Church was developing Feature Event 2,3 Regional Informations 6 interfaith relationships. Other issues Special Overseas Guest 3 Diary Dates 7 discussed were: the impact of the Roman Catholic-Lutheran agreement Pope John Paul’s Opening Theme 4 Inter-Religious Events 8 on Justification by Faith in the last 5 years (addressed by our ex-Lutheran David) and the issue of homosexuality ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH COMMISSION (EIC) in the Uniting Church (addressed by 383 Albert Street, (PO Box 146), East Melbourne, Victoria 3002. Moderator Sue Gormon). Tel: 9926 5708 Fax: 9926 5617 Email: [email protected] There are plans to meet again either Website: www.melbourne.catholic.org.au/eic this year or next year. FEATURE EVENT Julie Zaar, a parishioner of Our Lady’s Church in Ringwood, was asked to give her response to the film The as a mother. She commented that her two young sons had recently been ill; during the night, they only had to make a sound and she was running to Passion their side. She strongly identified with Mary’s grief as she witnessed the horrific suffering of her own son. of the Christ Julie had also seen the film twice, and discussion night found the second time drawn to pray “Lord, have mercy” and the psalm THURSDAY 18 MARCH, 2004 CARDINAL KNOX CENTRE, MELBOURNE “Have mercy on me, O God, in your kindness; in your compassion, blot out my offence...” For a different perspective on the he Mel Gibson film “The carrying my cross, and when I saw Simon film, we asked Dr Paul Gardner, Passion of the Christ” caused of Cyrene helping Jesus, I was reminded Chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti- a sensation when it opened in of my duty to help others carry their Defamation Commission and an Australia on Ash Wednesday. crosses. When watching the film the first executive member of the Jewish Three weeks after opening, time, I couldn’t even watch Jesus being Community Council of Victoria, for Tthe ‘passion’ surrounding the film nailed to the cross, yet I thought: it is my his reactions to the film, especially in seems to be dying down, but the sins that are nailing him there. And so view of the charge the film was anti- issues raised by the film remain there was this contradiction-I couldn’t Semitic. Dr Gardner said the film was important, and many people are still watch it, but I was doing it.” of concern to Jewish community talking about it. For Rev. Fraser Pearce (Pastor of Box because there was a danger that Anna Krohn, the director of Catholic Hill Lutheran Church), the ‘flashbacks’ “Jesus message of love of humanity Adult Education Melbourne, believed gave the film added depth, yet he [was] overshadowed by messages of “The Passion” presented an wondered, given the strong emphasis on contempt for Jews.” He said it would opportunity for education. David Mary’s suffering in the film, why Gibson be “a serious accusation” to say that Schütz, executive officer of the “did not chose to flashback to the “Mel Gibson deliberately set out to Ecumenical and Interfaith presentation of Jesus in the temple when make a film that would express and Commission, was well aware of the stir Simeon prophesied of Mary ‘And a sword promote contempt for Jews”, and that the film had caused for Christian will pierce your soul also’”. Pastor Pearce there was no evidence to support this Jewish relations. Together they planned drew our attention to the strong ‘blood accusation. He acknowledged that a “Discussion Night” on Thursday imagery’ in the film, saying that this was there was no explicit incitement to March 18 for people of the Archdiocese a common element in both Catholic and hatred, that there were sympathetic Jewish characters in the film and that to air their views of the film and to Lutheran piety. He quoted the Lutheran the Romans were shown as the hear the reactions of others. Catechism which says that Christ has perpetrators of the real brutality. The evening was attended by about redeemed us “not with silver or gold, but However, given the “serious historical 100 people from many different with his holy, precious blood and his corners of the Church. As well as innocent suffering and death.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 > many Catholic lay people both young and old, priests and religious, the discussion night was attended by some Lutherans and some priests and members of the Society of St Pius X. Five speakers were invited to form a panel. After each member of the panel had spoken there was a lively dialogue from among those who attended. In addition to the panel, participants in the discussion night also viewed television footage of reviews of the film, including an interview with Mel Gibson on his own reasons for making “The Passion”. Monica O’Shea (21), of Catholic Youth Ministry and a member of the panel, said she had seen “The Passion” twice, with different experiences on both occasions. “When I saw Jesus carrying his cross, I thought: he is 2 ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH BULLETIN SPECIAL OVERSEAS GUEST < CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Then on Saturday 3rd April, a group of about 30 people gathered to spend distortions” and “the power of film to to the the day with Br Ghislain at the Holy burn images into the mind” there was a Cross Centre in Templestowe. There, Br potential that the film could be used to Ghislain led us in a day of reflection on promote hostility in the current climate wellsprings “The Wellsprings of Joy”. The day of rising anti-Semitism in the world. concentrated on times of singing and Finally, Father Terry Curtin (Master prayer, but also gave time for quiet of Catholic Theological College) of joy reflection, using Brother Roger’s Taize spoke giving his own theological Letter for 2004. reflections. In particular Fr Curtin Brother Ghislain will be returning to drew our attention to the two different Visit of Br Bhislain of Melbourne again next year, and we interpretations of Christ’s crucifixion hope to make this event a regular one.

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