The Passion Debate:

The March 26th edition of the "Tower" contains an article on Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ." In the article the Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies is interviewed along with a summary of a Panel discussion which was held on Wednesday, March 24th. In reading this article one might ask the question 'is this movie something a faithful Catholic can really appreciate.' This is particularly so when one considers that the opinions of these CUA scholars seem to be shared by many others from academia, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

Well, if you are one of the many millions who have seen the movie and have found it inspiring, even breathtaking-you are not alone. It was widely reported that Pope John Paul II made the statement, "It is as it was," after having viewed the film. The subsequent retractions aside, it is not unreasonable to conclude that these were indeed his private thoughts. Many others in magisterial authority were likewise quite moved by the film. Consider the following quotes:

"This film is a triumph of art and faith, . . . It will be a tool to explain the person and message of Christ. I am sure it will help all those who see it — both Christians as well as non-Christians — to be better. It will bring people closer to God and to one another." - Cardinal Dar

Passions about the Passion

Nathan Lefler, doctoral student in systematic theology, STRS, 202-669-6818, leflernathan@hotmail.com

As a doctoral student in theology and one who feels passionately about Mel Gibson's movie The Passion, I wish to register my personal protest, more of chagrin, perhaps, than outrage, against my own dean for his scathing comments about the movie, made last week in open forum. Because I was in class at the time of the discussion, I must trust in the relative accuracy of the detailed report that appeared in this paper two days after the event: historical accuracy in these matters is, after all, of the essence.

I should note that I would count myself an amateur student of Scripture, by the stiff standards of the modern Biblical guild: I have a degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, where I studied Hebrew for several years, as well as Aramaic and a few years of Greek. I also have a degree in historical theology from Yale Divinity School, and extensive coursework in Scripture and theology since completion of those degrees. Yet I could hardly count myself - nor, I imagine, would Father Moloney count me - a "professional" biblical scholar. This dichotomy between the professional and the amateur is, again, of the essence.

I have seen The Passion four times to date, and intend to see it at least once more before Holy Week is out. The first time, I watched it with three fellow Catholics. One of my friends and I both, without prior discussion, crossed ourselves as the lights went down and the film began. I wept frequently and copiously. Among the most powerful moments in the film for me came when our Lord - as depicted by Jim Caviezel - spoke to his mother, played by a German-speaking Jew, Maia Morgenstern, in a heart-stopping rendering of the astonishing words from Revelation: "[See, Mother,] I make all things new." The second time, I saw the movie with an ample cohort of Dominican brothers and one Benedictine at a packed AMC theater, two nights after it opened. The junior-high aged class sitting in front of us, who had to have gotten signed permission to see the movie (there were only two or three adults in attendance), left the theater in absolute silence. On the way home, my Benedictine friend and I talked about the meaning of our Lord's unspeakable suffering, and the joy that comes of the realization: if he endured this for us, what is there ever to worry about again? The third time, I saw the movie with one of my Jewish "elder brethren," a man who has spent several years in Israel and knows some modern Hebrew. We discussed the variants we had picked up between [Gibson's Jesuit-informed renderings of] ancient Palestinian Aramaic forms of the genitive and of pronominal endings, and the modern Hebrew usage. He lodged no protest about the treatment of the members of the Sanhedrin. Perhaps he was being polite. The fourth time, I went to see the film alone, early on a Saturday afternoon, in a nearly empty theater in Georgetown. Alone, I felt the freedom I had been craving to give in to as thorough a meditative indulgence of religious emotion as may be possible on the margins of the peculiar Catholic-intellectual world I inhabit in my waking hours.

The amateur is, etymologically, the lover. Mel Gibson is, by anyone's sober estimation, an amateur - when it comes to the New Testament, to the vast theological traditions of the Christian Church, and certainly to the grammatical intricacies of first century Aramaic or Latin. His cast, moreover, is populated by amateurs, bumbling along, and managing through a mysterious serendipity of instinct, dramatic skill and possibly prayer, to bring to extraordinary life the story of my Lord's passionate love for his fellow human persons, for his mother, who may never have been more exquisitely portrayed in two millennia of passion plays, and for his heavenly Father. And The Passion's audiences have in the past month occupied, conservatively, upwards of fifty million seats in theaters around the world - occupied these seats with amateurs. As an amateur, I have watched, and loved, Mel Gibson's movie and, in the strictest terms, Mel Gibson himself. And through his movie, my love - and my understanding - of Jesus is growing. Would that our professional theologians and biblical scholars, one and all, might become amateurs - again, or for the first time - for even a few hours.

The Passion of the Christ

As a simple undergraduate, I don't bring "a whole lot of cultural preparation that a biblical scholar" may bring to a viewing of the Passion. Perhaps my simple observations will reasonate with my fellow undergraduates. I couldn't help but notice the irony on the front page of last week's edition of the "Tower." The review of the "Passion" elicited the opinions of two men, priests with entirely different perspectives, with entirely different jobs, with entirely different opinions. Fr. Cricchio, a campus minister here, pointed out the moments of faithfulness in the movie to the evangelical message, and the film's value during Lent as a meditation on the loving act of self-giving of Christ that lead to our Redemption. In true Fransciscan simplicity, his remarks were restrained and brief, reserving his words only for that which would point us to the elements of our faith. His remarks were those of a pastor. These remarks were completely overshadowed and dominated by those of a theologian, Fr. Maloney. Fr. Maloney's comments took up an inappropriate proportion of space in the article. He was quick to attack the movie on many different levels: its historical accuracy, its theological presentation, even its artistic merits.
I've noticed this trend, this difference in interepretation, on many other occasions. Theologians and the media have been quick to judge and condemn the movie, many before they have even seen it. Yet how many people I have heard of and know who applaud the movie and have found renewed consolation in the message of Christ through it: scores of Protestant ministers and parish priests, cardinals in the Vatican, my own diocesan bishop and many of his colleagues, a great number of the faithful, many here on campus, and many of our family and friends. The remarks of theologian Maloney simply don't reasonate with so many of our own experiences. I can't help but see the vitriolic criticism (and his criticism was downright inelegant, unrestrained, and turpid) of Rev. Maloney in light of those in the theological academy who so often think that the province of interpreting the faith is their own. And not only the faith, but religious art and matters of history, too. Fr. Maloney, despite his supposed academic and cultural credentials, is simply unqualified to judge the artistic value of the movie, to dogmatically assess what the loving anxiety of the Mother of God might have compelled her to do, or to question Mel Gibson's intentions. This can only appear to us uneducated lay student faithful as another instance of arrogance on the part of the theological establishment. Those pastors close to the heart of the authentic magisterium at home and in Rome, the sense of the faithful, and those directly involved in pastoral ministry have given the "Passion" a fair hearing- it is a beautiful artistic rendering that points us to Christ. If Rev. Maloney was able to fall asleep during an intelligent and heart rending portrayal of our Lord's Passion, I don't really care. The eccentricities of a theologian don't belong in a review of a powerful and highly controversial movie. Theologians, please listen to us students for a moment: we value the services you provide the People of God, but please don't arrogantly pontificate to us either in matters of faith or the arts- critically think with us, critically think with pastors, criticially think with the Church.
Dylan Corbett, '04

Leahy Printer

To the Editor:

I was not surprised to learn about the seven-hour-delay
on the only working printer in the Leahy computer room.
My only surprise is that this would be considered news.
Hour-long or longer delays waiting for printers have been
everyday occurences at Leahy during my three years of
graduate work at Catholic.

The problem is two-fold: First, the printers should be
maintained or replaced. But second, and more
importantly, there should be a hardfast rule that no one
can print more than 25 pages at a time. I have seen
ph.d. candidates go into that room and print 300 page
dissertations — how inconsiderate is that?! I only hope
that the administration will follow the example of its
neighbor to the north, the University of Maryland, and
implement a 25-page-rule.

Sincerely, Wendy Babbitt
202-966-5167

Reflection on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ

Since Mel Gibson's latest film, "The Passion of the Christ" came out earlier this year, a firestorm of controversy has developed about whether or not the film is anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish. It is true that the men who condemned Jesus to die were Jewish, however, I do not feel that their specific religious beliefs were the primary motivating factor of their actions. They were people who were considered the religious elite of the time who used their positions of authority to ostracize and condemn those who did not agree with them on matters of theology and morality.
When I try to imagine the modern day equivalent of those who condemned Christ, I do not picture Jewish leaders. Instead, I look to our own Catholic leaders. I look to our Catholic leaders who seek to deny people the greatest gift that Christ gave to us, His own Body and Blood, just because their political views are not in line with Catholic teaching. I look to Catholic leaders like Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston who has said that Catholic politicians who do not vote in line with church teachings "shouldn't dare come to Communion." The presumed Democratic candidate for President, and practicing Roman Catholic, John Kerry, who is known for his insistence that his campaign staff schedule time to attend mass each Sunday, was publicly warned by St. Louis, Missouri Archbishop Raymond Burke "not to present himself for Communion" during a campaign trip to Missouri. In fact, Archbishop Burke has publicly banned all politicians without a strictly Catholic voting record from receiving Communion in his Archdiocese.
It is leaders like these, that claim to have an authority over the dispensation of God's love and forgiveness, who condemned Jesus to death. Christ was considered an outcast because He taught that God's love is a free gift to all people, even those who are sinners. In fact, Christ specifically sought to reach those who had fallen into sin. Would Christ deny his Body and Blood to someone because they are a "sinner" or do not completely agree with the Catholic Church? If not, then why does the Church?
In our day to day lives, we are called, as Christians, not to take on the role of the religious leaders who condemned Christ to death, or the followers of those leaders who did nothing to help Christ and instead joined in the chorus calling for his crucifixion. Instead, we are called to be more like Simon, who, although initially unwilling, helped the condemned Christ carry His cross. As far as Simon knew, Jesus was a terrible criminal. Crucifixion was reserved only for the worst offenders. Yet when Jesus was being tortured and mocked in the streets, he stood up for Him. Even though he believed that Jesus was a criminal, he recognized Christ's humanity and defended His rights as a person, regardless of His crime.
"The Passion of the Christ" is not anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish. It simply portrays a man who was told by His religious leaders that He was no longer worthy of God's love and that what He spoke of and taught was heretical. As Catholics and as Christians, we are called to welcome all people into Christ's love, as Christ did Himself. Is it too much to ask our leaders to do the same?

Sarah's Sports Spotlight

It would be nice to have more varsity sports at CUA. Many club teams at our school do as well as varsity teams. So why can't they move up to the varsity level?

Women's rugby and men's rugby are two quality teams at CUA. I believe that if they moved up to a varsity sport that it would attract more interest in CUA athletics. Both teams have done well in the past two years and there should be no question about the team's capabilities.

However, there is another club sport that I have no doubt in my mind could be a competitive team if moved to a varsity sport. Men's Ice Hockey was the MDHC Champions. With a record of 8-2, the team has become a major part of CUA and a competitive sport, going up against top-ranked teams. The roster includes 29 students and four coaches.

Why can't they move up to varsity level? There are several reasons why. Title 9 is a big factor. CUA does not have a women's ice hockey team. In order for a team to move to varsity, you would have to bring up a team of the opposite sex as well. It doesn't necessarily have to be another ice hockey team but since CUA does not have a women's team to move up with them, ice hockey cannot move to varsity.

"Really I think that it would be a long shot for us," Mitch Receski, vice president of the ice hockey team, told me about what he thought of moving to varsity. "There really isn't any funding coming from the athletic department to help us fund moving up."

I asked him if he thought there would be any interest in getting a women's team together. He said, in response, "I don't think there is any interest in that on campus."

However, I think there could be interest, especially if CUA could put together a rugby team, a sport that isn't that popular in the states, and women's ice hockey is on the rise, for that matter. For example, this could be see at the Olympics in 1998. Women's ice hockey was added and the US team won gold in the 1998 Olympics and the silver in the 2002 Olympics.

Crew is another club sport. They have both a men's and a women's team. In the DuFour Center, they turned a racquetball court into a workout area for the crew teams with rowing machines. My high school started a crew team and there was so much interest they had to make separate teams and alternates.

Interest in club sports could have an impact on the interest in varsity sports here at CUA as well increasing intererest among perspective students in coming here. I will admit, at first I didn't come to CUA for the academics. I wanted to play softball and the CUA coach was willing to give me a chance. The interest in academics came later. For a lot of people, this is the same way they think. I know now that it was the wrong way to think, but you can't help it. Athletics promote sportsmanship and academic responsibility. You cannot play on a team if your GPA is lower than a 2.0. This gives athletes that push they need to keep up their studies.

I am a believer in Title 9 but I also believe that if a team is doing well then they deserve a shot at becoming a funded team. Our club teams deserve this shot. They work hard, they push themselves and they find ways to keep their team going. All teams, if they have these qualities, should be given a chance to move up.

Men's Tennis Defeats Shenandoah 6-1 Despite Weather

The men's tennis team won a decisive match on Sunday against Shenandoah with a score of 6-1. Head Coach Marty Dowd said, "This was an extremely windy day. We had gusts of 30 or 40 mph at the DuFour. This makes tennis almost unplayable," said Dowd. Apparently the wind was not enough to halt his team's march to victory

No. one Andrew Kelly fell to Shenandoah's Stewart Wetmore 3-6, 1-6. Playing at Number two, Emmet Donnelly cruised to an easy finish of 6-1, 6-1. Number three Jonathan Halbach also finished with a win of 6-1, 6-1. Number four Keith Roberson won a strong 6-0, 6-1, while number six Dave DeStefano steam rolled his opponent 6-0, 6-0.

In the number one doubles spot, DeStefano and John Stevens won their match with a score of 8-5.

The team had a much tougher match against Division I Loyola, Wednesday, as the Cardinals fell to the Greyhounds 7-0. Andrew Kelly, lost 2-6, 0-6 to Loyola's Number one player. The match, however, lasted close to an hour and a half which was a strong testament to Kelly's toughness as a competitor, according to Dowd. "Kelly kept battling, that's just the kind of player he is. It takes a certain kind of character to go out there and face tough competition every day. He has been playing well," said Dowd.

Emmet Donnelly also battled in the Loyola match. He was down in the first set 1-6, but then came back to win the second set 6-3. He fell behind in the third set and lost in the end 3-6. Number three Halbach also fought his match to three sets, but he lost to his Loyola competitor.

The tennis team's achievements off the court are almost as strong as their playing abilities. As of now, they have a team average 3.45 GPA, the strongest of any of the men's teams.

The Cardinals travel to Carlisle, Pennsylvania Sunday to compete against Dickinson College. "The Dickinson match is going to be a war. They beat us last year 5-2, but we're a bit stronger now. If we could beat Dickinson, it would be a big win," said Dowd.

Lady Cardinals Break Even in CAC Double Header

The Catholic University women's softball team came out 1 and 1 in a non-conference double header against Randolph-Macon College on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals won their first game 2-1, lost the second game 9-8.

In game one the Cardinals were down 0-1 until the seventh inning, when junior Sarah Galloway hit a home run, sending her and junior Jessica Payne home to put the ladies in the lead, 2-1. This was Galloway's fourth home run of the season. Galloway, who also pitched this game, performed well on the mound. She struck out four girls and only walked one.

The girls did not manage a win in the second game. Sophomore Natalie Banaszewski pitched the first fifth innings of the second game until Sarah Galloway came in and took over with the bases loaded. The girls were up 8-6 until Randolph Macon came back in the fifth inning. A Randolph Macon player with .575 batting average doubled home in the bottom of the seventh to put the Yellow Jackets in the lead and win the game.

Junior Ellen Manning played a great game adjusting well from left field to center. She also got two base hits to score two RBIs in the second game.

Catholic will play Gallaudet today in a double header at the Dufour Center in a Capital Athletic Conference game at 230 pm.

Cardinal Baseball Hits First CAC Win of Season

The CUA baseball team cruised to an easy victory over Gallaudet University Wednesday and finished with a score of 11-2. The Cardinals played a nearly flawless game which was highlighted by Dan Conway's two-run homer in the fifth inning. This brings Catholic's overall record to 15-9-1 and 1-3 in the Capital Athletic Conference.

Last weekend the Cardinals faced the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers three times at Talbot Field. CUA won the first game 3-2. The Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning and another in the third. They held off Rochester until the seventh inning when the Tigers scored two runs.

Later that day the Cardinals had a re-match against RIT. Rochester got off to a solid start, scoring four runs in the first inning. The Cardinals, however, answered those runs with a few of their own, and soon Catholic dominated the game. CUA scored five runs in the third inning, four runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth and won the game with a score of 13-7, Daniel Conway led the team that day with hits, going 3-4, and he was followed by junior Joe Verga and Jason Funk, each hitting 2-3.

The Cardinals could not clinch the third game against the Tigers and suffered a tough 14-5 loss. Rochester was off to a strong start scoring 2 runs in the first inning. The Cardinals then came back and tied the game 2-2. But, it was in the second inning where RIT racked up the points, chalking up 7 runs on the score board. RIT scored another 2 runs in the third, 1 in the seventh, and another 2 in the ninth. The Tigers finished with 14-5 win over the Cardinals.

Joe Benedetti currently leads the Cardinals with a .396 batting average. In the last game against RIT, Benedetti hit 4-4 and scored a home run to left field in the fifth inning. He is followed by Kevin Conley in a close second with a .373 batting average. Jason Funk and Joe Verga are each tied with 2 home runs for the season.

The baseball team has two conference games coming up. On Saturday at 1p.m. the Cardinals will once again compete against Gallaudet. On Sunday, the team will play CAC Rival and one of the strongest teams in the CAC, Salisbury.

CUA Track Opens Outdoor Season

The men's and women's track teams traveled to Goucher College Saturday where they competed in their first outdoor meet of the season. Both teams boasted a CUA competitor in almost every event.

For the women's team, freshman Ana McKernan took 15th in the 200 meter dash with a time of 31.72 seconds. Senior Lisa Silvonek and freshman Lauren Seth placed ninth and 11th respectively in the 800 meter dash with times of 2 minutes 55.1 seconds and 3:00.83. In the 1500 meter run sophomore Mary McGlynn, freshman Laura Shaw, and freshmn Catherine Orzech, placed third, sixth, and ninth, with times of 5:15.52, 5:29.32, 5:42.92. McGlynn took first in the 3000 meter run with a time of 11:21.73. She was followed by her teammates, Shaw and Orzech in fifth and seventh, with times of 12:19.54 and 12:45.41.

Freshmen Kim Stengle and Kristin Prieur competed in the 100 meter hurdles capturing second and sixth with times of 18.05 seconds and 19.62 respectively. In the 4×400 meter relay, CUA took fifth place with a final time of 4 minutes and 55.22 seconds. In high jump sophomore Laura Kaye, McKeernan, and Prieur, took 2nd, 4th, and 7th with heights of 1.47 meters, 1.42, and 1.32. Freshman Kelli McErlean and junior Sheila Dollarton took 3rd and 4th places respectively in pole vault with heights of 2.44 meters and 2.29. In long jump, freshman Kate Milazzo took ninth with a distance of 3.84 meters. Millazzo and McErlean jumped to 4th and 5th in triple jump with distances of 9.52 meters and 9.25. Stengle and freshman Cara Notarfrancesco participated in shot put but fouled in the final round. Stengle placed 2nd in discus with 31.76 meters, along with freshman Jennie Santoro's 22.22 meters for 14th. Notarfrancesco and Santoro threw 7th and 8th in hammer with distances of 23.34 meters and 18.54. In javelin, Stengle and Notarfranesco place 2nd and 5th with distances of 34.56 meters and 29.98 meters. Out of the twelve teams present at the meet, Catholic University placed 4th overall.

For the Men's team, freshman Kevin Brisseaux placed 12th in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.13 seconds. He was followed by teammate sophomore Daniel McCormick with a time of 28.35. McCormick placed 12th in the 400 meter run at 58.71 seconds. Bryan Seifarth took 4th in the 800 meter with a time of 2 minutes 6.74 seconds. In the 1500 meter run, senior Mike Audette and sophomore Matt Pryzdzial took 7th and 16th at 4:23.98 and 4:40.85. Audette placed first in the 5000 meter with a time of 16:10.95. Freshman Kevin Milstead also ran in the 5000 with a time of 19:04.34 giving him 11th. Sophomore John Lynch placed 1st in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 34:57.81.

In the 4×400 meter relay, the men placed 3rd out of the 5 teams competing with a time of 3:48.98. Senior Peter Clark took 2nd place in the high jump with 1.73 meters. Brisseaux placed 5th in the long jump with 5.84 meters, and Clark took 7th with 5.67.

In shot put NCAA All-American junior Sean Duggan took first with a distance of 52 feet 9.5 inches, only 14 feet farther than the nearest opponent. In hammer, Duggan placed first with a distance of 176 feet 10 inches. The men's team placed 4th overall out of the 12 teams present.

Both teams will participate in the Battleground Relays at Mary Washington in

Fredericksburg, Virginia this weekend.

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