'This Is Not a Blame Game. It's About Faith, Hope, and Love'

Who killed Jesus Christ?

The big answer is, we all did. I'll be first in the culpability stakes here, you know.

Are you anti-Semitic?

No, of course not...And here's the other thing. For me, it goes against the tenets of my faith, to be racist in any form. To be anti-Semitic is a sin. It's been condemned by one Papal Council after another. There's encyclicals on it, which is, you know- To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I'm not.

...This is his vision, his faith. He's a true believer, and I respect that. But there are times that there are unintended consequences...

Do you think Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite?

No, I do not. No, I do not...

Do you believe this is an anti-Semitic movie?

No, I do not believe it's an anti-Semitic movie. I believe that this movie has the potential to fuel anti-Semitism, to reinforce it.

You know, do I believe that there were concentration camps where defenseless and innocent Jews died cruelly under the Nazi regime? Of course I do. Absolutely. It was an atrocity of monumental proportion.

Are you looking into the face of a particular kind of evil with the Holocaust?

Of course. You're looking- yes...

...What is the particular evil there?

...what's the particular evil? I mean, why do you need me to tell you? It's like, it's obvious. They're killed because of who and what they are. Is that not evil enough?...

He was beaten for our iniquities. He was wounded for our transgressions and by his wounds we are healed. That's the point of the film. It's not about pointing the fingers. It's not about playing the blame game. It's about faith, hope, love and forgiveness...It is reality for me...I believe that. I have to.

You have to?

I have to.

For?

For my own sake...So I can hope. So I can live.

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