An American Jewish leader met with Vatican officials to ask them to publicly restate church teachings on Jesus' crucifixion.

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Movie Review Is Film Too Graphic? Jim Caviezel Interview, Movie Clips, Interview Clips, Slideshow Caviezel Interview (HTML Version)

Anti-Defamation League Chair Abraham Foxman says that Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" contradicts the Vatican's repudiation of the charge that the Jews killed Jesus.

A top Vatican official who met with Foxman said no such statement is planned.

Archbishop John Foley, who heads the Vatican's social-communications office, instead praised the film and said he found nothing anti-Semitic in it.

Foxman saw the film last month by sneaking into a screening of the film for the Christian clergy in Florida. But long before that, he was vocal about his fears that the film would spark a new wave of anti-Semitism.

Foxman wrote a letter to Gibson asking that the writer-director place a postscript at the end of the film to warn that there is no excuse for anti-Semitism.

But in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer Monday, Gibson said placing such a postscript would imply that there is something wrong with the film, and he doesn't plan to take such measures.

Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ, "The Passion of the Christ" graphically portrays the last 12 hours of Christ's life as depicted in the New Testament. Gibson -- who co-wrote and directed the film -- financed the project with his a reported $25 million of his own money.

In addition to the content, Gibson has come under fire for reports that his 85-year-old father has expressed anti-Semitic viewpoints in the past. Gibson refused to discuss any matters regarding his father in the Sawyer interview.

Filmed with Latin and Aramaic dialogue with English subtitles, "The Passion of the Christ" is set to open Feb. 25, which is Ash Wednesday on the Christian calendar. Churches across the United States have reportedly prebooked entire theaters -- and in some cases, megaplexes -- in the first week of the film's release so members of their congregations can see it together.

The film -- which is rated R -- has also sparked debate because of its violent content. Still, that isn't stopping some churches from allowing younger members of their congregations to attend. Jerry Johnston, a Baptist minister in Kansas City, Mo., told USA Today that he prebooked a theater for Feb. 27 for children 11 and older.

Johnston told the paper that the "violence is necessary to understand the sacrifice Jesus made."