Anne Catherine Emmerich: "Behind every successful man..."

Last night, The Passion of the Christ premiered. Mel Gibson sunk $30 million of his own money into the project. It took in between $15 million and $20 million already. He should get it all back by the end of the week.

Those who wish to know more, will eventually learn the inspiration for the film. No, not just the Gospels.

The script of the Gibson film was inspired in part by the visions of a poor German mystic by the name of Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824). Her visions and locutions over the years included, in 1833 (posthumously), an elaborate account of the Passion that claimed to go into far more detail than the Gospels themselves. They were transcribed with the help of Clemens Brentano, the famous poet of her day, and the fruit of this collaboration was The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The publisher of the English edition is TAN Books of Rockford, Illinois, a family-owned publisher of traditional Catholic works, virtually unknown (until now, I hope) outside of Catholic circles.

Stephen Hand of TCR News elaborates on Emmerich's case:

"For millions of Catholics, a much needed sunbeam of joy in a time of great darkness and scandals, rose in our hearts last July when word came down from Rome that the cause for beatification of the German mystic, Anne Catherine Emmerich, was on track again after laying somewhat dormant since 1972... [a] remarkable stigmatic-mystic so devoted to the Passion of Jesus... The Gibson movie and the renewal of her Cause in Rome has sparked widespread renewal of interest in the life of this prodigy. Gibson credits this writing and her life with his own late conversion to Christ..."

To say the least.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports on the reaction to the film:

"Many viewers wept or cried out during the graphic scenes of Jesus' ordeal. Others felt nauseous. A few walked out during the bloodiest scenes and returned later. Some said they were unnerved for hours, unable to sleep or concentrate..."

There have been protests outside some theatres, no doubt all bent out of shape because of the movie's supposed "anti-Semitic" tone. But columnist Joseph Sobran writes:

"According to the Talmud and other authoritative Jewish writings, Jesus was a 'bastard' and 'sorcerer' who deserved his death and is now in hell, 'boiling in excrement'... According to many Jewish writers, even the Gospels are anti-Semitic... But why stop with the Gospels? If the entire religion centered on hostility to the Jews, why not blame the founder himself?"

Fear of being struck by lightning, perhaps? As my colleague in the office put it: "The only people even depicted in the movie are Romans and Jews."

Anyone who even takes the time to read the Gospel accounts alone, would know that a few of the chief priests -- Annus, Caiaphas, you know, those guys! -- managed to railroad the Sanhedrin into a kangaroo court for political ends, while certain other members of that body -- Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea -- were kept in the dark until the deed was done.

"Boiling in excrement?" Give me a break! The Jews get off easy here. And if the real culprit was the sins of all humanity throughout all time, so do the rest of us.