“The Passion” shows strength of Mary’s faith, says Brazilian Archbishop

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Apr 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Archbishop Murilo Krieger of  Florianopolis, Brazil, said the person of Mary in “The Passion of the Christ” reminds us that Mary not only accompanied Jesus to Calvary, she “stood on her feet and united herself to the sufferings of her Son.”

Archbishop Krieger explained that although “some people criticize the movie for its violence and excess of blood, it cannot be said that its director has been unfaithful to the Gospel facts he has sought to portray.”

Returning to the figure of Mary, the Archbishop underscored that “the expressions on the face of Mary and her presence throughout the Way of the Cross constitute one of the highlights of the film.  His mother not only accompanied Him to Calvary, she remained ‘standing’.”

“She lived an experience the apostle St. Paul would later describe in these words: ‘I make up in my flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his Body, which is the Church’,” he added.  Likewise the Archbishop emphasized that “one of the certainties that is confirmed in the hearts of many who have seen the movie is that the events of the Passion of Christ were not limited to just a few moments in time, but rather they extend throughout history.”

Archbishop Krieger also recalled that we are all guilty of the death of Christ “with our sins.”

“Some individuals deserved special attention during the film, because they followed very closely the events of the Passion of Christ.  They convey a truly sublime message.  Such is the case of Mary, Veronica, Simon of Cyrene, the apostle John.  Let me simply remind you that they were all Jews, like Jesus.”