‘Passion of the Christ’ Actor Jim Caviezel Wants to Work With Mel Gibson for Sequel on the Gospels.
Actor Jim Caviezel, best known for playing Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic “The Passion of the Christ,” has said that only atheists believe in coincidences, and that some would even deny God’s resurrection of the dead.
Caviezel spoke with Polish journalist and film critic Lukasz Adamski in an interview reprinted by the Catholic News Agency on Sunday, and touched upon a number of different topics regarding his Roman Catholic faith and film career.
Caviezel, who has also starred in successful TV shows such as “Person of Interest,” recalled the influence Pope John Paul II had on his life, and remembered that the Polish pontiff “always called young people to break away from contaminated and demoralized civilization.”
He noted that the John Paul II encouraged people to try and live like saints, arguing that it is not impossible.
“It is a message saying that everyone in the world is equally important. It is also an appeal for a Christian life. A life in which one demonstrates to everyone they come across that Jesus is their Lord. I remember the Pope saying to Americans: ‘You can all be saints,'” the actor said.
“It makes me sad that so many people in my country do not seek sainthood. They substitute it with drugs and hedonism. It is simply filling the emotional void.”
Adamski recalled that when Caviezel played the role of Jesus, he was 33 years old, and his initials were J.C.
“Don’t you tell me it was a coincidence! There are no coincidences. I keep hearing about ‘accidents’ and ‘strokes of luck.’ Secularization affects the entire world, including the USA. Only atheists believe in coincidence,” the actor responded.
“There are no coincidences for God. Even when God resurrects the dead, they will say it happened by accident.”