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The actress chosen to portray the Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's highly anticipated sequel to his 2004 hit The Passion of the Christ has drawn outrage from fans over her pro-abortion views. Kasia Smutniak, 46, who was tapped to play the Mother of God, has publicly advocated for abortion rights in her native Poland and blasted the predominantly Catholic country's history of strict abortion laws. The actress was pictured with the words 'Right to abortion' in a 2020 Instagram post and is a known supporter of the Strajk Kobiet (Women's Strike) movement. Now, the decision to cast her in The Resurrection of the Christ is being ripped by conservative Polish commentators. One who supports the country's pro-life political party even contacted Gibson's production company to protest the decision. 'Dear Mr. Mel Gibson, would you really want Kasia Smutniak to play Mary, the mother of Jesus?' a X user wrote. Alluding to her Instagram post, the critic added: 'Please explain what this woman wants... If she played this role, more than half of Poles would not watch [your] movie.' Another X user said they hoped the role would 'convert' Smutniak. 'It's not fake?' the user wrote. 'If not, then it's a mistake for her to play Mary in The Passion... Unless this role bears fruit in the form of her conversion, which I hope it does.' Another chimed in: 'It's a bit sad that an abortion advocate will be playing Mary.' Smutniak came out in opposition after Poland banned almost all forms of abortion, except for cases of rape and incest and when the mother's life or health was endangered. 'The verdict to restrict abortion will be agonizing for Polish woman [sic] and their families, forcing some to continue through pregnancies against their will, and needlessly increasing their suffering,' Smutniak wrote in October 2020. 'It is inhuman and against basic human rights! And this time we won't stop!' The decision led to some of the biggest protests in the country's history, as thousands took to the streets in Warsaw and other Polish cities to rally against the country's right–wing government. The Resurrection of the Christ is split into two parts, with the first set to premiere in theaters on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and part two on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 6, 2027. The film takes place three days after Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and stars Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen, 36, in the role of Jesus and Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, 36, as Mary Magdalene. Gibson, 69, opened up about the long–delayed film during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast earlier this year. He said the 'very ambitious' movie would follow 'the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.' Gibson added: 'I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you're in another place, you're in another realm. 'You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol.' The actor–director admitted that tackling the film was 'not going to be easy' and would require 'a lot of planning.' Gibson admitted he wasn't sure if he could 'pull it off.' 'To tell you the truth, it's super ambitious, but I'll take a crack at it because that's what you've got to do, right?' he continued. 'Walk up to the plate, right?' The Passion of The Christ racked up $612 million worldwide on a comparatively small budget of $30 million, which made it the highest grossing R–rated film ever in the US at the time. The original movie, which follows the final twelve hours of Jesus' life, starred Jim Caviezel, 57, as Christ, and Monica Bellucci, 61, as Mary Magdalene.
