The Drudge Report is carrying an item from Catholic News Service stating that the Pope did not comment on Mel Gibson's film. Earlier today, I grew hot under the collar at Frank Rich's IHT column on the affair. I still don't think that Rich got things right. As Archbishop Dziwisz has made clear, the Pope is fully capable of correcting the record if it needs it. And, by CNS' account, it needed it.
I had been looking forward to going to see this film, largely on the strength of the extraordinary comment from the Pope. Unless this story has more twists left to play out, all enthusiasm I had about this movie has drained clean away.
Some day, I might see the film, but not in theaters, not even as a rental. Making up a papal endorsement is just not acceptable and the financial penalty for that sort of idiocy should discourage any repeats.
Posted by TMLutas at January 19, 2004 06:29 PM