Vatican City, Dec 18, 2003 / 22:00 pm
A Vatican source confirmed yesterday that Pope John Paul II saw Mel Gibson's film, “The Passion of Christ”, and was moved by it, reported Reuters.
The source also confirmed that, after viewing the film about the last 12 hours of the life of Christ, the pope said: "It is as it was," indicating that he considered it an authentic portrayal of the Gospel accounts of Christ’s Passion.
Earlier this year, some scholars and Jewish groups criticized an earlier version of the film, saying it would increase anti-Semitism because it portrays Jews in a negative light.
However, the news service reported that Abraham H. Foxman, U.S. director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group would respect the Pope's views.