Pope meets actor who played Christ in "Passion" film

Pope John Paul II met the US actor who placed Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ," the Vatican said.

Father Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman, said the pontiff met Jim Caviezel along with his wife and parents-in-law for a private audience.

Cavaziel has been in Rome since last Saturday, and has attended a screening of the film for a religious order called Christ's Legionnaires, which has strongly supported the film.