www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Mel Gibson Visits Eastern Bishops Conference

Looks like Mel Gibson made a surprise visit to the Conference of Eastern Catholic Bishops meeting in St. Louis this week. Anybody hear about this? (Sorry, the links won't work)

found this...


Mel Gibson asks Catholic bishops to pray for him
Article from: Herald Sun


April 25, 2009 09:30am

Mel Gibson has surprised a conference of US Catholic bishops by flying to meet them on a private jet and asking them to pray for him.

The Hollywood star, linked to a sexy Russian songstress and expected to lose half of his estimated $A1 billion fortune to soon-to-be ex-wife Robyn, shocked members of the Eastern Catholic Church Bishop Conference when he arrived in St Louis on Wednesday to meet them.

The bishops were given little warning about his visit.

``I was more than surprised. I was flabbergasted,'' Bishop Robert Shaheen of the Maronite Church told St Louis TV station KPLR.

The New York-born, Australian-raised Oscar winner did not ask the bishops for their support as he enters divorce proceedings with his wife of 28 years, but he did tell them he was ``going through a bad time in my life''.

Gibson was interested in talking to the bishops about the Maronite's tradition of using the language of Jesus, Aramaic, during mass.

His 2004 blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ, used the Aramaic language.

``He didn't ask us of anything,'' Bishop Shaheen said.

``He didn't ask us to endorse him.

``He never said anything about his personal life except 'keep me in your prayers; I'm going through a bad time in my life'.''

The meeting was a pleasant one and Gibson and 12 bishops spent Wednesday night at St Louis Italian restaurant Bartolino's Osteria where they feasted on traditional St Louis style toasted ravioli and other Italian dishes.

Gibson signed a menu for restaurant owner Bart Saracino and at the end of the night one of the actor's assistants paid the entire bill.

Gibson's divorce and his controversial past, including a drunken anti-Semitic tirade against a Malibu sheriff in 2006, did not deter the bishops from meeting and dining with him.

``I don't think Jesus ever had a problem sitting down with people for dinner,'' Bishop Shaheen said.

``Certainly I'm not going to tell him 'no' if he asks me.''

Gibson and the bishops also met for breakfast on Thursday morning before he departed the city on his jet.

Robyn, a former Adelaide dental nurse who has seven children with Gibson, filed for divorce earlier this month. Court records revealed the couple has lived apart the past three years.

Gibson has been romantically linked to Oksana Grigorieva, a 39-year-old singer signed to Gibson's record label, icon.

Grigorieva had a child with one-time partner Welsh actor and former James Bond, Timothy Dalton.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25383840-5012974,00.html

Hmmm...he seems to want desperately to be around men of faith, and it seems that he struggles hard with loving his faith while also having personal demons/passions.

How sad that his marriage is breaking up. How sad that there are men who get so 'taken' by mistresses that they forsake the mothers of their children.

(A church friend of mine is going through this and I see how demonic, painful and devastating the situation is)...

Ofcourse in Mel Gibson's case, his career's lifestyle does not help him conquer his passions. If anything, it presents many more temptations than an ordinary person would ever need to deal with..

It makes you appreciate the rare Hollywood couples with strong old fashioned commitments to their marriages like Bob Hope.

In Christ,
Alice

"Gibson was interested in talking to the bishops about the Maronite's tradition of using the language of Jesus, Aramaic, during mass.

His 2004 blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ, used the Aramaic language.

"He didn't ask us of anything," Bishop Shaheen said.

"He didn't ask us to endorse him.

"He never said anything about his personal life except, 'Keep me in your prayers; I'm going through a bad time in my life'."

The meeting was a pleasant one and Gibson and 12 bishops spent the night at St Louis Italian restaurant Bartolino's Osteria where they feasted on traditional St Louis style toasted ravioli and other Italian dishes.

Gibson signed a menu for restaurant owner Bart Saracino and at the end of the night one of the actor's assistants paid the entire bill.

Gibson's divorce and his controversial past, including a drunken anti-Semitic tirade against a Malibu sheriff in 2006, did not deter the bishops from meeting and dining with him.

"I don't think Jesus ever had a problem sitting down with people for dinner," Bishop Shaheen said.

"Certainly I'm not going to tell him 'no' if he asks me."

Gibson and the bishops also met for breakfast the next morning before he departed the city on his jet."

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25383839-5005361,00.html

I hate to shock you Alice but it is said that about 75% of men confess to having affairs at least once in their married life.
I dont know what the percentage is among women.
But lets not be so hard on him, one doesnt know what role the wife played in the divorice, and it is quite possible that the affair came after the trouble began, not necessarily before.
Stephanos I

Dear Stephanos,

Christ is risen!

In all charity, I think your remark is uncalled for. As a Catholic, no matter what your spouse has done, you are married for life. Period. Mr Gibson is the one so prominently identified with "Traditionalist Catholicism." Mr Gibson is the one who is reportedly having a public adulterous affair. It doesn't matter what percentage of men admitted to having committed adultery (and that is what it is - not "having an affair"), the moral standards of the Christian religion are given to us by revelation, not by polls. It does not matter, for example, that 99.9 percent of adult males may confess to having committed the sin of masturbation; masturbation is still a sin, which needs to be repented of and confessed.

You speculated that Mrs Gibson may have had a role in the divorce. Speculation is not productive. One could speculate about your motives in writing the above note, but that is not my place, nor anyone else's. Mr Gibson asked the Bishops to pray for him. That is what we all should be doing, not seeking to justify adultery.

Your sincerely in our Risen Lord,

Fr David Straut

As Fr. David,so rightly emphasizes,from a Christian perspective there is no justification for adultery, and as Alice noted it is so damaging and causes such suffering.
Stephanos, I've spoken with many girlfriends from cultures where adultery is commonly accepted (in one community in my state Friday night is mistress night,Saturday night the wife's night) and the common view is that men are little boys that will never grow up. Just coddle their egos and as long as they fulfill their family duties,no need to worry. Though they all seem resigned to this "reality," not one of them likes it one bit nor do they entirely reveal their inner selves to their husbands. This heardhearted viewpoint is passed on from generation to generation and marriages are entered into with the expectation that the man will never amount to much emotionally.That's frightening.
My prayers for the Mel Gibson family.

I wonder if this was Gibson's first visit to an Eastern Catholic church or if this is just the first reported instance? It's great that he was even aware of the Eastern Catholic churches!

Hang on - where does it say he attended a Service ?

The only reports that we have been shown here , just say he talked with the Bishops .

Nore does it say that he discussed his marital problems it just says that he asked for their prayers as he was going through a hard time .

Let's not jump to any conclusions here .

Any bets that the next thing we see is that he is joining one of the Eastern Catholic Churches ?

Is my cynicism as applied to journalism showing ?

There are few more painful walks than that of divorce when one is truly a Christian .... I will pray for him and his wife, and also this young woman involved.
People in the public eye are exposed to constant temptations from everything and everyone, and for the mere mortal, I would think a fall from Grace would not be a total surprise. I'm not making excuses for his behavior - not at all - it's wrong any way you cut it, but perhaps we who are just normal, everyday people, cannot appreciate the strain these people and their marriages are under.
They all have my prayers,
abby
<*)))><

I was not speculating nor was I advocating what was happening I was merely stating that there are two sides to a story.
I was responding to what Alice said, indicating it was the man's fault.
If you want to chastise someone I suggest you chastise her for that view! Or was I misreading what she implied. (Alice this is not slam against you just stating a point)
Stephanos I

Dear Stephanos,

Christ is risen!

I have read, re-read, and read yet again both Alice's post and your post in response to it. I can only say that I cannot see what you are taking about. I found Alice's post to be very sensitive to Mr Gibson. He is simply wrong to be in an adulterous relationship. She discusses the spiritual dimensions of it for him and why he may be particularly attacked by temptations. I must repeat: there is nothing one's spouse can do that can justify one committing adultery. It is truly sad what the Gibson's seven children must be going through. Their father is in a public adulterous relationship with his employee, their parents have been separated for three years, and now are divorcing. It is heartbreaking.

I publicly thank Alice for her original post, which I find to be charitable, true, and helpful.

Fr David Straut

On a lighter side, I'm still trying to figure out how this all came about ? Mel Gibson shows up at the conference and says "How would you Bishops like to go out for some Italian food, my treat"

I found that a bit puzzling also. How on earth did he even find out about the meeting? perhaps he is lurking byzcath ..

lol