[bloodrayne]

Gibson Parries "Passion"-ate Fan

Mel Gibson's got an unwanted praying partner.

The Oscar-winning celeb, whose controversial biblical epic, The Passion of the Christ, has grossed over $600 million worldwide and sparked a spiritual fervor, has obtained a court order barring a homeless man looking to trade "amens" with Gibson.

In court papers filed on Sept. 21 and obtained Friday by Los Angeles' City News Service, Gibson claims that 34-year-old Zack Sinclair sent several "alarming, harassing and annoying" letters to the Lethal Weapon star.

Sinclair repeatedly turned up at Gibson's Malibu digs last month, beginning on Sept. 17, demanding to see the actor "saying that he wanted to pray with me," per the paperwork.

After being "told to leave and not return," Sinclair came back the following day, rang the bell at the gate, and repeated that he wanted "to pray" with the thespian.

On Sept. 19, Gibson said Sinclair wandered into Gibson's church, "approached me, interrupted my worship, stood extremely close (approximately six inches) from me and demanded that I pray with him."

When Sinclair trespassed again at chez Gibson, the actor's wife, Robyn, called the cops, who arrested Sinclair. According to the Malibu Sheriff's Department, Sinclair was charged with disorderly conduct and misdemeanor loitering on private property.

The visits followed several letters sent by Sinclair to Gibson over the past few months. In one letter, Sinclair praises The Passion for demonstrating "a deep love and understanding of the savior. But in another epistle, Sinclair suggests that he needs to save Gibson, telling the actor "you have been in direct opposition to Christ for a long time."

In another note, Sinclair writes, "My family thinks I am crazy. I have been committed to the state mental hospital in Idaho twice. I have done over 2 1/2 years in jail, all this over the span of 5 years."

Gibson's temporary restraining order prohibits Sinclair, who remains jailed, from going anywhere near the actor or his family, which includes his seven children.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Santa Monica to determine whether Gibson can extend the order.

When he's not dealing with overzealous fans, Gibson is busy lording over his production empire. His company, Icon, has several projects popping up on the small screen, including UPN's Kevin Hill, starring Taye Diggs (news) as a hotshot bachelor lawyer; ABC's Complete Savages, an old-school family sitcom whose pilot and promo Gibson directed; and CBS' baseball-centric drama Clubhouse.

Meanwhile, The Passion continues to amass huge sales on home video; consumers snapped up more than 9 million DVD and VHS units combined in just its first week in stores last month.