Passion-Related Deaths

Pastor Dies Watching ‘Passion of Christ’
Mar 23, 2004

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian pastordied of an apparent heart attack while watching theMel Gibson film “The Passion of the Christ,” witnessessay.

Jose Geraldo Soares, a 43-year-old Presbyterianpastor, had reserved two movie theaters at a BeloHorizonte shopping mall on Sunday afternoon to see thefilm with his family and the congregations of twolocal churches.

But halfway through the movie, Soares’ wife noticedthat he was no longer awake. A doctor who was alsowatching the film tended to Soares, but the priest wasalready dead.

“He was calmly watching the movie next to his wife,”said Amauri Costa, a family friend who also attendedSoares’ funeral on Monday.

Soares is at least the second person to die whilewatching “The Passion,” which opened in Brazil onFriday. Peggy Scott, 56, died of a heart attack onFeb. 25 in Wichita, Kansas while watching film’sclimactic crucifixion scene.

The film, which was praised by Catholic leaders inBrazil as a faithful depiction of events in the Bible,has been criticized by many for its violent and bloodyportrayal of Christ’s final hours.

I wonder. Many, many millions have seen this movie now. It seems that if 2 people die out of the 10 or 20 million who have seen it, that probably isn’t worth putting in the news. I find it hard to believe that mortality rate is any different from any other movie. After all, people have to die somewhere…