On the Vatican and “The Passion”

Instead, intrigue. Yesterday, Jan. 21, Rod Dreher of the Dallas Morning News e-mailed Dr. Navarro-Valls and asked him about the e-mails the spokesman had sent to Steve McEveety. How could the Vatican deny the pope’s quote when you told the producer to use it again and again?

Dr. Navarro-Valls quickly replied. He told Mr. Dreher that “the e-mails were not authentic. He was suggesting that they were fabricated.

Read the whole thing, and then wonder: What’s going on with Vatican spokesman Navarro-Valls? I am quite puzzled by the whole thing. Some have suggested that there was a fear of the Pope’s words being plastered on movie posters, but I also wonder if belated word got to the Vatican regarding Mel Gibson’s association with a schismatic group and someone’s concerned about that.

But whatever the case – someone seems to not be telling the truth. Which is always too bad. But especially here.

Here’s Rod Dreher’s column (link requires registration)

To agree with the Vatican’s story, you have to believe that not only would Mel Gibson’s crew invent the pope’s quote but also that it would dare to use such a lollapalooza of a lie to sell a film.

You have to believe that the ruse would involve both Mr. McEveety and Ms. Noonan fabricating e-mails from the papal spokesman.

And you have to believe that the independent reporting by NCR’s John Allen, which didn’t rely on a movie source, was trumped up.