Mel Gibson’s Apology a Model of Contrition

posted in: Catholic Issues, News Items | 0

From CATHOLIC LEAGUE for Religious and Civil Rights

“Mel Gibson’s apology is a model of contrition, and it reflects the genuineness of his faith. Indeed, it stands in stark contrast to the ‘If you were offended’ type of apology that we are so accustomed to at the Catholic League. We trust that most Jewish leaders will now do the honorable thing and work with Mel so that all wounds can heal.

“There will always be those who refuse to forgive. They are a tragic lot. Worse, they are the only losers.”

This actually ticks me off.  The Catholic League does good stuff, but this isn't it.  They should have stayed out of it, but everyone's so eager to adopt Mel Gibson as a Catholic.  Here's why they should have stayed out of it:

  1. Mel Gibson is not Catholic.  He belongs to an "independent" traditional "Catholic" sect that does not recognize the Pope or Vatican II. 
  2. The media, who are attacking him in the reprehensible way they attack just about anything they can find, are not attacking him for being Catholic.  They are attacking him for the string of anti-Semitic epithets he uttered while being arrested for drunk driving, epithets that apparently would have made Hitler a little uncomfortable.

It's darn nice of the Catholic League to forgive Gibson.  I'm in favor of forgiveness.  But they, and we as Catholics, were not the injured party.  Gibson needs to take that up with those he injured by his comments.  True contrition, I might add, involves more than just saying "I'm sorry;" it involves restitution, and he needs to take that up with Jewish leaders, who have standing to forgive since they were the injured parties.

So by rushing to Gibson's defense, the Catholic League did not come across so much as defenders of forgiveness.  They came across as anti-Semites as well.  I know that's not what they intended, yet that is how it looked.  Shame on them.