Fed: Clergy thank Gibson for packed churches

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2004
Fed: Clergy thank Gibson for packed churches

By Alex Wilson

MELBOURNE, April 11 AAP - Church leaders today thanked Mel Gibson for making Easter
Sunday a blockbuster sellout.

Large crowds at services across Australia could be put down to anxiety over international
upheaval and the interest generated by Gibson's controversial rendering of the crucifixion,
The Passion of The Christ, they said.

At Brisbane's St Stephen's Cathedral the pews were packed and worshippers stood in
the aisles and doorways to hear Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby's sermon on the importance
of faith.

Archbishop Bathersby said it was the biggest Easter Sunday crowd he had seen at the
cathedral and attributed the numbers in part to The Passion of The Christ.

"I do agree with others that there was a great deal more violence than I would have
liked in the movie, but nevertheless there were some brilliant moments and I thought it
was a brilliant movie," he said.

In Victoria, large congregations packed the Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, and the
story was the same at local churches across the state.

Hundreds of Christians from different denominations also joined together to march down
Swanston Street and assemble in Federation Square to celebrate the holiest day on the
Christian calendar.

Traffic was stopped for marchers who sang and waved green and yellow balloons with
"Justice, Mercy, Compassion" and "Jesus is Risen" printed on them.

Melbourne's Anglican Archbishop Peter Watson said international turmoil and uncertainty
was driving people back to the church in search of answers.

"Any time there is some sort of a crisis like the massacre at Port Arthur or Bali or
even going back as far as World War II the churches fill up," he said.

In his sermon, Archbishop Watson focused on the hope the story of Christ offered a
world gripped by violence and unrest.

"The world is a sad place at the moment and I think the message of the Christian gospel,
the good news, has never been more relevant," he said.

In Sydney, Christians joined with Jews celebrating Passover to provide a Sunday roast
lunch for the disadvantaged.

Volunteers served a meal of roast lamb, vegetables and gravy to more than 300 people
in the city's inner-west.

Catholic Cardinal George Pell led the Easter Sunday Mass at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral
and a 120-strong choir and 30-piece orchestra led the singing.

In Perth, church leaders said large numbers of younger worshippers, aged between 15
and 25, had attended both Anglican and Catholic services.

At Adelaide's St Peter's Cathedral, Anglican Archbishop Ian George told the congregation
that the story of Christ offered hope of non-violent solutions to a world currently dogged
by violence.

"The violence of terrorists internationally, the violence on the roads locally, the
violence in sport both on and off the field, the violence of angry and greedy people in
our midst, are intoxicating us and blinding us to other ways of achieving change and justice,"

he said.

Greek Orthodox believers celebrate the end of a period of fasting on Easter Sunday
with a feast of roasted lamb, sweet bread loaves and Easter cakes.

This year all the churches celebrated Easter Sunday at the same time but the Orthodox
celebration often falls on a different Sunday as it is calculated using a different calendar.

AAP apw/sjb/de

KEYWORD: EASTER AUST NIGHTLEAD

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.