I think that is a paranoid reaction against an interesting work of fiction. I totally disagree with the opinions expressed below.
Does anyone know if Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is a serious contender for the Papacy?
Looks like The All India Catholic Union (AICU) vice president and BCS president, Mr. Dolphy D'souza, is the only one talking any sense.
Cecil
----- Full text of message from Joseph Dias below. Please do not blindly forward such narrow minded opinions. ----
How can you expect us not to react to Da Vinci Code ? Now they are making it into a movie
Our conscience & love for the Church does not permit us to remain quiet.
Request : Pl let me have your feedback on -
The CSF Urges Church Action on Da Vinci Code - Movie to be released soon
Follow-up on top Vatican Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone's criticism today - 18/03/05
The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) has welcomes top Vatican Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone's criticism of the international bestseller, Dan Brown's Da Vince Code. The Cardinal known to be a close friend of the Pope and also a contender for the top post, becomes the highest-ranking clergyman to speak out against the fiction novel. Columbia Pictures of Sony Pictures Entertainment have secured the much sought after motion picture rights to Dan Brown's best-selling thriller and the book is soon to be made into a film, starring Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou, etc. directed by Ron Howard and the script written by Akiva Goldsman. The CSF, which objected to the film, SINS, says that the Da Vinci Code is even worse, as it hits at the basic tenets of Christianity - the divinity and person of Christ.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, while labeling Da Vinci Code as a pack of 'cheap lies', has also called for Catholic bookstores to take the novel off its shelves. The CSF calls upon the Church to take a stand on such matters, vital to the faith and urge the faithful to refrain from seeing the movie or read the book. If the Catholic Church in Mumbai, could ask the community not to attend the Benny Hinn crusade, which could be debated, surely the Church is duty bound to do more and prevent Catholics from exposure to such untruths, doing them grave harm. To quote Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone - I think when faced with affirmations that are so shameful and unfounded, readers who have even a minimum of basic Christian formation should react.
The CSF has urged various Church organizations, besides those of other secular and religious faiths, to lodge their protests against the film, slated to be released worldwide, including India soon. The CSF presented a memorandum to the recent Governor of Maharashtra, Mohammed Fazal, calling for banning the author from entering the country to promote the book. He has referred the issue to the Union Government for perusal and action. The book has also been banned by certain nations, like Lebanon, following protests by the local Catholic Churches. The CSF is writing to various religious and secular forums to stem such trivialization and commercialization of religions, with a profit motive.
The CSF is pained at the reaction of the Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS), which has refused to speak against the Da Vinci Code. The All India Catholic Union (AICU) vice president and BCS president, Mr. Dolphy D'souza is reported to have said to the media that raising the issue is a " mere controversial gimmick. There should have been a debate on the issue so that it could have been rationalized." - Indian Express, 18th September, 2004. In the Times of India (20th September, 2004), Mr Dolphy D'souza is again quoted as saying ' The book is a work of fiction and not likely to shake the faith of any Christian '. It is shocking since such a liberal stand, is not only anti-Catholic, but also leads to erosion of credibility for such organizations. It is hoped that now with the Vatican having spoken so clearly on the subject, there will be a re-thinking and the entire Church will speak with one voice on the issue.
The Da Vinci Code is offensive, as it hit at certain basic foundations of the religion, by asserting that - Jesus was man not God, Jesus was married, the Church was sexist and suppressed the true gospels, etc. Under the guise of it being fiction, the writer, Dan Brown has gone great lengths, to falsify art, history and religion, presenting these falsehoods as the truth, by quoting 'scholars' and dubious sources. The CSF says that there is nothing to rationalize and the fact that the book is merely labeled "fiction", does not give the writer, any license to abuse a religion, much so Christianity which is a docile faith. Every right carries with it a duty or responsibility, if society is to be protected from lawlessness and the rights of one individual is not to conflict with those of a group of others. Religion in India, unlike abroad, is close to the heart of its citizens. It is also a touchy subject in a communally charged environment, with attacks on Christians rising by the day. The Da Vinci Code hurts not just the religious sentiments of Christians, but also that of the Muslim community for whom Jesus Christ is a revered prophet. Besides, derogatory remarks of the kind mentioned in the book cannot be allowed in any free civil society, that respects the rights of minorities.
This is similar to the book by Salman Rushdie - Satanic Verses - which also was fiction, but hurt Muslim religious sentiments and was banned by India. To illustrate with another example, the country would be in flames, if any fictional bestseller sought to marry Sita to Ravan or speak in a derogatory manner of any other religion, even though the author could well say, it has no semblance to facts.
We have read the book and protesting against the movie based on it, for the following reasons -
* It paints Jesus as a mere mortal, with basic instincts and not as God or Son of God. Jesus was a normal human, made divine by the Church, to get some of the divinity themselves, as his representatives.
* The Church is shown as conspiring to cover-up the marriage of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and keep women out of the Church hierarchy, unlike what Jesus had proposed - a matriarchal system. It suppressed the divine feminity to portray the Church as masculine and paint sex as undesirable.
* The Holy Grail or chalice, which held the blood of Jesus, referred to at the Last Supper, was actually the womb of Magdalene and was the bloodline / lineage of Jesus, with whom Jesus had sexual relations and fathered at least a daughter. The descendants of Jesus and Magdalene are now living in France.
* To quote a character from the book, Teabing says - ' The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene . . . the wronged queen, entombed with proof of her family's rightful claim to power'. Thus, Magdalene and not St. Peter is the rock referred to by Jesus, on which he intended to build the Church.
* The authenticity of the Bible, particularly the present 4 Gospels have been challenged, while alluring to over 80 other gospels, known to be floating around 4 centuries after Christ died.
* The book refers to a clandestine society - Priory of Sion, which had Catholics like Isaac Newton, Da Vinci & Victor Hugo, who guarded these secrets and encrypted them, as a code in paintings. The Church suppressed the 'evidence' by rejecting these as forgeries and novel refers to the dubious role of the Opus Die - a reputed Church organisation.
* The New Testament came about by Roman Emperor Constantine's manipulation, in a meeting that saw 250 quarrelling bishops. Dan Brown points out that "the Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven," but was a result of this conclave. Thus political clout & religious maneuverings gave birth to the New Testament, as we have it.
In view of the above, we call upon the Union and State Government to be sensitive to the constitutional rights of all sections of the Indian citizens, particularly the minorities, who are increasingly feeling alienated in the country. There is also need for a re-look at the existing archaic censorship policy and evolve a comprehensive set of rules to govern any media, particularly that which has the potential to hurt the feelings of any community or disturb the fragile peace and order in the country. India that prides itself internationally as being a country, that safeguards the rights of the minorities and where their voice (though small) is heard, needs to match its words with actions.
Thanking you, with warm personal regards,
Yours cordially,
Joseph Dias, MA (Eco) 9 3 2 4 8 0 3 2 7 9 General Secretary, The CSF
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