A Jewish leader asked actor Mel Gibson to make sure that his new film about Jesus does not portray the Jews as responsible for the crucifixion. Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, said he made the request regarding the still-unfinished film “The Passion” after reading an article indicating that “the film’s purpose is to undo the changes made by Vatican II.” In 1965, the Second Vatican Council issued a decree that repudiated the Catholic teaching that Jews were collectively responsible for Jesus’ death.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
