The following letters to the editor appear in the edition of March 4, 2004. Letters appearing in this space do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arlington Catholic Herald or the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The editor reserves the right to edit letters as necessary. There is no guarantee of publication. Send letters to: letters@catholicherald.com.

Restorationists?

In his column, "Liturgy as Entertainment" (ACH 2/19/04), Russell Shaw sets up the straw man of entertainment, then attempts to demolish it by a series of disparaging comments, among them his reference to "perfect strangers who want to holds hands with you at the Our Father." Since when are members of the Body of Christ perfect strangers?

In the same issue, George Weigel uses a similar methodology in criticizing the Greeley and Hoge studies, questioning that "bit about restoring the pre-Vatican II Church." How can these men restore what they did not experience, he asks. Of course, his answer is that they aren’t trying to restore anything, but merely "to build the Church of the new evangelization, in response to the invitation of Pope John Paul II." Why is it, then, that many of these young priests refer to themselves as "restorationists"?

Francis X. Doyle
Ashburn

Historically Accurate Violence

There’s a great outcry and protest among pundits of film right now because of the graphic violence of "The Passion of Christ."

Experts for whom the brutal and gratuitous violence of "Pulp Fiction," "Saving Private Ryan," and even "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" raised hardly an eyebrow of concern have been transformed into guardians of the moral order after watching Gibson’s film. What is it about this particular film that has changed these men and women into watchdogs of morality and why have they drawn the line — a line that hardly seemed to exist for them before — at this particular film? I haven’t the wisdom to begin an answer.

We would cheer, of course, if the transformation was real, but no one with any sense can imagine it is. Besides, their moral protest has merely exposed their moral obtuseness. They’ve got everything upside down and backwards about the film. It is exactly the moral dimension of Gibson’s film that they have most completely failed to comprehend.

The moral uplift to be gained by a thoughtful — or better said prayerful — viewing of "The Passion" is its single purpose and its most impressive accomplishment. The violence here isn’t titillation aimed at selling seats; it is cruelty calculated to show up the immense and conquering power of the love of God, which cannot be overcome by any extremity of evil. The film — as did the event itself 2000 years ago — calls forth the highest moral response from the viewer. Most people will walk away touched and transformed — grateful and adoring; giving more now in their own lives and counting less the cost of that giving.

In addition to which, Gibson’s film and its violence is a historically accurate account of the way it really was.

J. Fraser Field
Executive Officer,
Catholic Educator’s Resource Center
British Columbia, Canada

Juvenile Reactions

Father Chris Pollard’s article on Mel Gibson’s film, "The Passion of Christ" (ACH 2/19/04), was very well written. Catholics do not have to apologize for the Gospel’s truly historical narrative of the life of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the film is not to provoke hatred against today’s Jews but is to impress on Catholics, and all other viewers, the nature of sin and what the love of God did for us in Christ Jesus. All Jews are the beneficiaries of the Messiah, Jesus, and we ask them to open their minds to His message. Knee-jerk reaction to a Jew undergoing Jewish and Roman type of justice in the first century is juvenile and unworthy of any serious student of history.

Anthony D. Lutz
Vienna

A Hermit’s Religion

Beware of people who say they have a problem with "perfect strangers who want to hold hands at the Our Father," (Russell Shaw, ACH 2/19/04). We should be thankful that Shaw isn’t in charge of evangelical programs; they would never get off the ground. We should be thankful that the Good Samaritan, or Christ himself, didn’t feel that way. How far would missionaries get if they wouldn’t hold hands with strangers? Shaw should practice his religion as a hermit in a remote desert or on a lone mountain top.

Dr. Eugene N. Pelletier
Alexandria

Dramatized Sacrifice

Producer Mel Gibson has rendered the world a fantastic too to grasp the spiritual attention of mankind. It is my prediction that "The Passion of Christ" will be the most significant, most dynamic, most observed movie in all of history. What a dramatic outreach vehicle as an evangelical too for the Christian Church.

No devious motives should be imputed to Producer Mel Gibson for this significant and historic endeavor. It dramatically brings alive a factual, graphic depiction of recorded history — the terrible trial, unbelievable cruelty and ultimate crucifixion of a Jewish rebel by the reigning hierarchy. It is not anti-Semitic, but dramatically historical — to dramatize the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice.

It is interesting that the movie has not yet been publicly shown; yet there are those who would criticize this movie as anti-Semitic. Those who would criticize this phenomenal production should stop long enough to realize that Jesus was Jewish, as were his disciples and apostles and — shocking as it may be to some — all Christians the world over are really religious descendants of the Jews. Christianity grew out of Judaism.

Let’s recognize that this movie is the evangelical tool of a lifetime.

Howard W. Pollock
Retired U.S. Congressman
Alaska

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