Playing Defense and Clarifying

Archbishop Levada on the Catholic understanding of The Passion.

Anti-Semitism is incompatible with the Catholic faith. However, even in America, we have seen Catholics embrace anti-Semitic positions, seeking to justify them as compatible with or resulting from Christian belief. The infamous "radio priest" Father Coughlin of the 1930s had a large and willing audience for his anti-Semitic rants, until he was silenced by the Archbishop of Detroit.

The Anti-Defamation League has said the film "has the potential to promote anti-Semitism through its painful portrayal of Jews as being responsible for the death of Jesus." On the other hand, Cardinal Castrillon of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy and Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, call the film a deeply spiritual experience.

This contrast reminds me of a comment by columnist and radio host Dennis Prager -- who is Jewish -- after seeing an early cut of the film: "When watching 'The Passion,' Jews and Christians are watching two entirely different films. For two hours, Christians watch their Savior tortured and killed. For the same two hours, Jews watch Jews arrange the killing and torture of the Christians' Savior."