"The Passion" welcomed by Protestants and Catholics
Cardinal Kim: "No anti-Semitism; the movie shows violence and hatred in us".
Seoul (AsiaNews) - The power of "The Passion of the Christ" is being felt around the world. The film opened April 2nd in South Korea to general audiences aged 15 years and older, with advanced viewings for Catholic and Protestant clergy on March 22nd and 24th to prepare the spiritual leaders to address the sensitive issues that the movie evokes. Cardinal Stephan Kim and 400-some believers visited JoongAng Theater in Seoul to get a first preview of the movie. Denying the Anti-Semitic claims, the Cardinal commented, "The movie really shows that violence and hatred are in all of us."
Since it's release, the film has brought in U.S. 2.3 million dollars in the Asian country. Italian missionary Sr. Rosaria Longobardi, of the Pauline religious congregation Jesus Good Shepherd, works with the international Catholic community in the capital city. She said the film has been well-received by the general population and that those who have seen the film remark being touched by the suffering of Christ and the cruelty of His death. Even so, opening day passed without much attention from the media. "Obviously it is necessary to consider that this is a particular film," Sr. Rosaria commented on its appeal primarily to the Christian population. " It is a very well made film, and tells well the story of the Gospel- it is quite faithful."
About 31.7 percent of South Koreans are Christians. Officials at 20th Century Fox, the movie's distribution company, worked carefully before introducing the film in Korea and said, "In Korea, there won't be any anti-Semitic controversy, and we finished the translation carefully in reference to the translated Holy Bible. But we prepared the previews with the intention that it would be better to receive feedback from religious groups."
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