Gibson’s Passion and Mary "Co-redemptrix"

Dr. Mark Miravalle has written a fascinating article for the Catholic Information Network that speaks about Mary’s portrayal in The Passion of the Christ. Miravalle is Professor of Theology and Mariology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, so obviously something of an expert on the subject. Here are some interesting quotes:

In a recent interview with Mel Gibson, Christianity Today referred to Gibson as a traditionalist Catholic who “likes the Tridentine Latin Mass and calls Mary Co-redemptrix.” There's another well-known Catholic who also calls the Mother of Jesus the Co-redemptrix: His name is Pope John Paul II. He has done so on six occasions during his post Vatican II pontificate.

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In The Passion of the Christ, Gibson has accomplished a Marian feat no pastor or theologian could achieve in the same way. He has given the world through its most popular visual medium a portrayal of a real human mother, whose heart is inseparably united to her son's heart. This mother's heart is pierced to its very depths as she spiritually shares in the brutal immolation of her innocent son. Hers is an immaculate heart which silently endures and offers this suffering with her son for the same heavenly purpose: to buy back the human race from sin.

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Mary Co-redemptrix has been given her first international film debut in a supporting role, and it's a hit.

You can read the article in full here [2].