Film watching becomes Good Friday tradition

A DVD (digital video disc) projector was set up, and the screening of The Passion of the Christ could begin. The 2004 movie by Mel Gibson, an Australian Catholic actor and director, depicts the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. "This movie is especially good for Good Friday, when people have to think about Christ's passion and their sins," Father Juan Carlos Sack commented.

The Incarnate Word priest, who heads St. Joseph Parish in Dushanbe, told UCA News the film, which graphically portrays Christ's suffering, "can compel people to think and not commit sins." Father Sack was speaking from experience, because the parish has now shown the movie as a Good Friday preparation for Easter three times.

As in the past two years, about 40 of 100 regular churchgoers attended the screening. Catholics in Tajikistan number about 250, with 165 or so belonging to St. Joseph's Parish.

This includes expatriates, whose number fluctuates. Nonetheless, Father Sack pointed out that Good Friday this year was the first time parishioners could watch the movie on a big screen. Earlier they watched it on a television in a small room, "but now that we have a projector and big screen, we arranged a pleasant screening.

" "This film is very touching and helps us remember what Jesus had to suffer because of us. I think we have to watch the movie not only on Good Friday but also at other times in the year because it helps to straighten our faith," remarked 23 year-old-Anton Petrov. Anushervon Aripov acknowledged that although The Passion of the Christ is brutal, people should know about Christ's suffering.

"There were very difficult moments in Jesus' life and we shouldn't forget them. If Jesus experienced this brutality, we shouldn't forget it." Father Sack agreed, saying he decided to include it in the Holy Week program even though some might like the movie while others might not.

The movie strove for realism both in its graphic portrayal of violence and in having the actors and actresses speak the Aramaic and Latin languages in use during Jesus' lifetime. It drew large audiences and stirred controversy in countries around the world. Criticisms included concerns that the violence was excessive and that the film might incite anti-Semitism.