Front of Roman church covered by publicity for film
Posted on 04/25/2006 9:34:32 AM PDT by NYer
Front of Roman church covered by publicity for film
ROME (AP) -- The Interior Ministry said Tuesday it would remove a poster promoting "The Da Vinci Code" movie from the scaffolding of a Rome church undergoing renovation after its clergymen complained, officials said Tuesday.
The enormous poster, featuring a picture of Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and the title of the upcoming film, has been plastered for a few weeks on the scaffolded facade of the church of St. Pantaleo, which is located just off a major thoroughfare in Rome's historic center.
The Rev. Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for Rome's Vicariate, said the poster was "causing a problem."
"This movie is not reputed to be particularly appreciated by ecclesiastic circles," Fibbi said.
Church officials have spoken out repeatedly against the best-selling novel by Dan Brown and the upcoming film, which stars Tom Hanks and is scheduled for release May 19.
The story contends that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants, and that Opus Dei, a conservative religious organization close to the Vatican, and the Catholic Church were at the center of covering it up.
"It advertises something that is against Christ and against the church," St. Pantaleo's rector, the Rev. Adolfo Garcia Duran, told The Associated Press.
The Interior Ministry, which owns the church and awarded the contract for the renovation to an external company, said the poster would be removed in the next few days. Officials confirmed the Rome Vicariate had sent a letter requesting the poster be taken down.
Obligatory "omigosh, it's just a movie - you need to chill! blah, blah, blah" post.
Thanks for the quick update.
How diplomatic! I'm going to try to work a similar phrase into a paper I'm writing. Just for kicks.
Obligatory "omigosh, it's just a movie - you need to chill! blah, blah, blah" post.
Thanks for the quick update.
Perfect! I can't wait for this movie. Hollywood is making money this year so far. I think this movie will help bottom line. I just enjoy good movies and this one will be. I am going in with the same feeling I had reading the book...this is make believe. I guess most FREEPERS really thought that hansel and gradle really did get cooked by the old lady.
Catholic equivalent of dhimmitude apparently.
The movie I'm waiting for (although it will probably never be made) is Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. If you liked the Da Vinci Code, you'll love FP.
The story is fiction.
However, it is also a story that could reasonably be considered offensive to the Church.
Placing an advertisement for the movie on the scaffolding of a church that is being restored is in bad taste.
I don't think that it's unreasonable that the Church is asking that the advertisement be removed.
This doesn't appear to be an attempt to ban advertising for the movie or banning the movie.
They are merely demanding to be treated with a reasonable level of respect.
Hanging a large advertisement for something they find offensive over their front door isn't showing a reasonable level of respect.
Catholic equivalent of dhimmitude apparently.
Are you calling Catholic religion Islam like...
In the front of the Da Vinci Code, it states "All descriptions of artwork, archietecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In his talk, Olson demonstrated that almost none of it is accurate. He also presented excerpts from a series of interviews by Dan Brown in which his research claims continually changed. For example, in one interview, Brown claimed that all the art research was conducted by his wife, who is an art historian. In a later interview he admitted his wife isn't an art historian and that she's just an art buff.
May be if someone were to hang up something you might consider offensive from a place you own or that you appreciate, may be then you'll be able to understand our feelings on this matter.
Note too that no cars exploded on the streets, no one was kidnapped nor beheaded, and no Catholic mob went in a rampage of death and destruction in the process.
Your quip was way off the mark.
-Theo
Interestingly, even Umberto Eco (who is an Italian Communist) said the Da Vinci Code was garbage.
Didn't realize he was a Communist, but his books are great.
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