From a Sermon given by His Grace Bishop Gregory of the ROAC Regarding Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ'
After reflecting and receiving more information on "The Passion of The Christ", I want to share with you more thoughts.
It seems I was wrong when I said that this movie is reputed to be very accurate, in that it was an attempt to follow most closely the Scriptures. The script. Apparently I was wrong. Mel Gibson put aside the Scriptures and decided he was going to follow the narration of Anne Catherine Emmerich's book about the Passion. This was a Roman Catholic nun who had many dreams or apparitions contrary to the Scriptures, which she recorded. You see how far the Roman Catholics are from the Orthodox? If anyone of our faithful had any such dream, they would immediately be told to cast it away from themselves, and pray that it be blotted out from their memory, for it is obviously not from God since it contradicts the Divine truth as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures.
Because Mel Gibson chose the Gospel according to Emmerich, rather than the Gospel according to the Evangelists, therefore this explains the inaccuracies of this film. The theme, however, was Christ and His sufferings. Although inaccurate, yet we behold how it affects the good emotions of the people of this country. Everybody is going to see this movie in droves, and it is going to be one of the most successful movies made. Again, I wish to tell our people, however, that this movie is not for you. We do not need to behold the imagination and ideas and listen to the words which authors are putting into the mouths of sacred personages. We do not need to see an actress portraying the Virgin Mary. The Virgin's beauty and holiness surpass beyond all imagination whatever Hollywood can produce through an actress. We call the Virgin Mary "full of grace" and "more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious than the Seraphim." What actress can j! ustly portray the Queen of Heaven? None. And our mind should not imagine that we see such an attempt. What then can be said of Christ, Himself, and an actor?
I want to share some thoughts about the way we depict Christ on the Cross, and the way the Latins depict Him.
The Orthodox East, and indeed, the Orthodox of the Roman Church (before 1054), have always depicted Christ as victorious in and over death. He is on the Cross, standing on the footstool, where His feet are nailed. He is depicted as if holding up the Cross. He is depicted not only holding up Himself, but as God, the whole world. He is nailed to the Cross and pierced in the side, and we see this in the holy icons, and the blood from His extremities flow down from the nails and fall on the skull of Adam, which is always depicted beneath the Cross, because He was crucified at Golgotha, the place of the Skull of Adam. His side, when it is pierced, shows two gentle streams, one of blood and one of water, flowing out from His right side. He looks like God incarnate and crucified and it is a wonderful and insatiable sight to behold. Blood is only depicted on the portions of His hands, feet and side. Above His head, holy Tradition presc! ribes that He is labeled "The King of Glory". And indeed, He is at the height of His glory, redeeming man, and giving us the sign of the Cross. True Byzantine iconographers, in the purest expression of Orthodox art, do not put upon His head a crown of thorns. Indeed His hair is even shown well groomed. Thorns are contrary to the glory of this icon. This icon shows Christ crucified and indeed dead, but one only realizes this because His eyes are closed, which in Orthodox iconography communicates the state of death. This death for us is life and hope and joy and peace and salvation.
Let us reflect a little on the modern day Latin depiction of Christ crucified, as expressed even now through the movie "The Passion."
Here we behold the figure of a man who is brutalized. Every part of his body is disfigured and bloody. His hair is disheveled. He is hanging on the Cross as if He is a body without any power. You look upon this crucifixion as an object that would lead us to total despair. Above His Cross is written, "The King of the Jews," but He is not only the king of the Jews. He is the King of the world, and indeed, the King of kings. But we see Him depicted, not as a King, but as a criminal, punished and executed. But there was no sin in Him. But in their depictions, He looks like sin indeed was in Him. This depiction causes us to turn away from this sight. It is not a vision of hope, but of despair. It is not a vision of life, but death. There is no peace when one beholds this depiction of the Latin West. Every part of His body is red with His blood and abhorrent to the dignity that belongs to Christ. We should! honor Him as our God incarnate, but never dishonor Him by depicting Him as one broken and powerless to save Himself. This is showing dishonor. Even the way they cover His nakedness shows dishonor. The Latins put a skimpy, torn, dirty rag on Him; while the Orthodox put on Him a large, clean, dignified cloth.
So we see the difference in the Christianity of the true Church and the others. The dignity shown to Christ in the true one is unsurpassed.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
In Christ,
+Bishop Gregory