Rabbi Urges Pope to Speak Out Against 'The Passion'

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Chief Rabbi urged Pope John Paul to speak out against Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" to prevent Christian-Jewish relations from being undermined by the movie, his office said Friday.

Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger wrote to the pope expressing concern the film could set back decades of Jewish-Christian reconciliation since the Vatican in 1965 rejected the notion that the Jews were collectively responsible for death of Jesus.

"It is regrettable that a tendentious, malicious film should undermine the progress (at reconciliation) that we have worked for with such great care," Metzger wrote in the letter.

Jewish groups have complained that Gibson's film, which has grossed more than $20 million since its release Wednesday, could foment anti-Jewish attacks over its graphic depiction of the torture and crucifixion of Jesus.

"Many viewers may be led to believe that the Jews are collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. Indeed, the film may provoke undesirable anti-Semitic responses both in the short-term and in the long-term," he wrote in the letter.

Gibson, a traditionalist Catholic who rejects the 1965 Vatican reforms, has denied the film is anti-Semitic.

It has been lauded by many Christian believers as helping them reassert their faith, but Jewish groups and some theater goers have complained the film demonizes Jews by depicting them as having pressured the Romans into crucifying Jesus.

In a bid to prevent the film from reviving age-old tension between Christians and Jews, U.S. bishops have issued a booklet highlighting the Vatican's position that Jews were not collectively responsible for Jesus' death.

Metzger urged the Pope to consider "an appropriate response on the part of the Church" to the film. He gave no further details but said the response should be done in a way that does not attract further publicity for the film.

Metzger is Chief Rabbi for Ashkenazi Jews, who originate from Europe. The Chief Rabbi of the Sephardi community of Jews from North Africa and the Arab world was unavailable for comment.