Movies
British Catholics have launched a group to tackle the expected impact of the Da Vinci Code movie.
The Da Vinci Code Response Group sees the controversial Opus Dei group join forces with Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
They are worried about the film's portrayal of their church as a shadowy, conspiratorial institution.
The group released a statement to declare its stance. "We believe the Da Vinci Code is fun and harmless in so far as it is treated as fiction. We do not believe in condemnations, boycotts or protests.
"Prickliness on the part of Christians leads us into the trap laid by Dan Brown – that the church is on the defensive because it is engaged in a cover-up."
The statement continued: "But we are also exasperated that many people without a good understanding of the Catholic Church and its history have been understandably deceived by Dan Brown's claim that the Da Vinci Code is based on facts and respectable theories.
"That deception is likely to be reinforced by the film because images are much more powerful than words."
Conservative Catholic group Opus Dei – which gets an especially bad part in the film – has asked Sony Pictures to include a disclaimer to the film making clear it is fiction.
"The book is obviously trying to present fictional things as factual, and trying to deceive people in that way," said Opus Dei spokesman Jack Valero. "That's why Opus Dei asked for a disclaimer at the beginning of the film just to say this is pure fiction, and then that's fine, you can say what you like.
"But if you're trying to get people to believe it's fact when in fact it's fiction, then that's cheating really."
The film will go on general release on May 19.
The Da Vinci Code Response Group sees the controversial Opus Dei group join forces with Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
They are worried about the film's portrayal of their church as a shadowy, conspiratorial institution.
The group released a statement to declare its stance. "We believe the Da Vinci Code is fun and harmless in so far as it is treated as fiction. We do not believe in condemnations, boycotts or protests.
"Prickliness on the part of Christians leads us into the trap laid by Dan Brown – that the church is on the defensive because it is engaged in a cover-up."
The statement continued: "But we are also exasperated that many people without a good understanding of the Catholic Church and its history have been understandably deceived by Dan Brown's claim that the Da Vinci Code is based on facts and respectable theories.
"That deception is likely to be reinforced by the film because images are much more powerful than words."
Conservative Catholic group Opus Dei – which gets an especially bad part in the film – has asked Sony Pictures to include a disclaimer to the film making clear it is fiction.
"The book is obviously trying to present fictional things as factual, and trying to deceive people in that way," said Opus Dei spokesman Jack Valero. "That's why Opus Dei asked for a disclaimer at the beginning of the film just to say this is pure fiction, and then that's fine, you can say what you like.
"But if you're trying to get people to believe it's fact when in fact it's fiction, then that's cheating really."
The film will go on general release on May 19.
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