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April 19, 2009 - MEL GIBON: Divorce, Annulment...Are You Kidding?

by Father Edward L. Beck, C.P.

As we continue our celebration of the Easter season, it was suggested to me that I make some of the texts for the reflections that I tape for ABC NEWS available here on our website. Many of them have news-related or cultural significance. This week the TV reflection was on, um, Mel Gibson. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. And whether or not you liked his movie Passion of the Christ, I’m sure you may have your own opinions of his recent public behavior. It now appears as though the "Uber-Catholic" Mel Gibson is now getting divorced. This after 28 years of marriage and 7 children. The 53 year old actor was recently photographed cavorting in Costa Rica with a 28 year old Russian singer. Perhaps that was the last straw for his long suffering wife Robyn. Worse even than his drunk driving arrest and spewing of anti Semitic slurs. So, why is this Catholic priest wallowing in this tabloid grist? Because I’ve already been asked, "So I suppose he’ll just get an annulment and he’ll be fine with the Church?" Well, no. He hasn’t been fine with the Roman Catholic Church for some time now. He doesn’t accept the teachings of Vatican II or the authority of the Pope. And he chooses instead to follow some antiquated remnant of Catholicism that dates back to the 16th century. And all in Latin, by the way. Why should he care about something as fundamental as a marital annulment when he’s already dismissed most of Roman Catholicism? This is the kind of stuff that makes ordinary faithful people crazy. Money, celebrity and building your own 50 million dollar church are no free pass from the mundane processes of conversion and renewal. I’m afraid Mel Gibson has a long way to go before we even get to the annulment question. And I mean that in the nicest way. See you next week. And continued Happy Easter as we bask in the glory of the Resurrection and finally, hints of spring!