Cardinal urges [hypocritical] legal action against Da Vinci Code

Rooters.com ^ | Sun May 7, 2006 10:13am ET | Philip Pullella

[dhuffman@awod.com]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - In the latest Vatican broadside against "The Da Vinci Code", a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded.

Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was considered a candidate for pope last year, made his strong comments in a documentary called "The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception."

Arinze's appeal came some 10 days after another Vatican cardinal called for a boycott of the film. Both cardinals asserted that other religions would never stand for offences against their beliefs and that Christians should get tough.

"Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and to forget," Arinze said in the documentary made by Rome film maker Mario Biasetti for Rome Reports, a Catholic film agency specializing in religious affairs.

"Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others," Arinze said.

"This is one of the fundamental human rights: that we should be respected, our religious beliefs respected, and our founder Jesus Christ respected," he said, without elaborating on what legal means he had in mind.

A transcript of the documentary, due to be screened in Rome later this month just before the release of the film version of the best-selling book at the Cannes Film Festival, was made available to Reuters.

The book, written by Dan Brown, has sold more than 40 million copies.

[Unam Sanctam]

How hypocritical exactly?

[Antoninus]

Ambiguous Reuters headline? Here's what the Cardinal said:

"Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others," Arinze said.

Does he mean, "Take 'em to court," or does he mean "legal as opposed to illegal"?

At any rate, I think the Cardinal is spot on. As for hypocrisy, I'd check the mirror before attacking the Catholic Church, brother.

[last american]

Furthermore, "silence gives consent," that is, if Christians say nothing, this is taken as assent and an admission of the truth of the Da Vinci Code (which is actually a set of crazy old-style anti-Catholicism and New Age gnosticism).

Sort of like the silence heard in response to Cardinal Mahoney's call to disobey federal law regarding illegals.

[DustyMoment]

This is amazing that a work of fiction has the Vatican's panties in a wad. Dan Brown doesn't claim that the Da Vinci Code is anything but a work of fiction - it is the Vatican and the Catholic Church that gives credibility to the plot by arguing that it never happened. Brown doesn't claim otherwise.

The publicity he has gotten courtesy of the Catholic Church has caused this book's sales to go through the roof.

[Antoninus]

The Da Vinci Code is a wonderful and entertaining book... of FICTION!

Yes and as all us truly intelligent people know, fiction (cough, Uncle Tom's Cabin) has never (cough, Atlas Shrugged) had a profound effect (cough, The Jungle) on society.

The "it's just fiction crowd" are the same morons who don't understand why businesses large and small, governments, politicians, and special interest groups spend billions upon billions of dollars on advertising each year. It's all about getting your message out and influencing what people think. The Duh Vinci Code is no different in that respect--except that it's proven to be a spectacularly effective piece of propaganda for Christian-haters.

[x]

The Church is the only institute in the world that could put this issue to bed. It has at its disposal the Vatican Archives that is filled with documentation and proof about the early beginnings of the Church. That is what the story line contends, that the early Church hid the truth about Mary and Jesus, right?

How so? Whatever documents they produce won't be believed by those who need conspiracy theories. It will always be argued that they're holding back the "real" documents.

At this point, I don't fault people for suing to defend their reputation. It may be an unwise move. In this case it's probably pointless. But if it's in their legal right, it's an avenue they're entitled to consider.

[Antoninus]

Sort of like the silence heard in response to Cardinal Mahoney's call to disobey federal law regarding illegals.

Who was silent? Catholics certainly weren't. If you spent any time on FR, you'd know that. Furthermore, there was a feature on EWTN that basically blew the Cardinal's position out of the water without mentioning him directly by name. Of course, you wouldn't know about that.

Just because you don't hear the complaints, doesn't mean there's silence.

[DustyMoment]

The best thing that could have been done is to ignore the movie.

I disagree. It was a good story - and that's all it was. Just like the Da Vinci Code is a good story.

Good stories arouse interest and make us think. Hollyweird and show business, in general, were predicated on the ability to tell a good story. If one disagrees with the ideas contained within a story, if those ideas offend, religious, ethical or moral precepts, by all means, ignore the movie. But not because the author (or the actors) told a good story. This is too reminiscent of the book burnings in Nazi Germany.

[last american]

Who was silent? Catholics certainly weren't.

I did not hear ONE peep out of any catholic regarding that. As a matter of fact, last sunday on cable I watched an hour long show where different denomination's clerics were interviewed (most were ca$holic) and they were proudly stating how the various archbishops have given their minions the OK to get arrested over aiding and abetting illegals.

[last american]

if anything is going to be the death of catholicism, it won't be atheists or science. instead, it will be fellow catholics.


BINGO!

[Felis_irritable]

"If the film offends.
Please don't attend."

Were you *trying* to write like Johnny Cochran or am I sensitive?

If a person's faith can't withstand a trite little tome/movie like the Da Vinci Code I would submit they have no faith.

[livius]

That is how Dan Brown starts his fiction..and that has led to the main problem...it is a lie!

You're right, that is the important point. The Church never bothered to oppose things like "The Story of Maria Monk," a bit of Protestant anti-Catholic trash that circulated in the US in the 19th century and featured secret passageways between monasteries and convents, etc., because it wasn't worth bothering with.

This is being presented to the world as the truth, and Christians have the right to remind the world that it is NOT the truth.

That said, I don't think using European hate speech laws is a good idea, but at the same time, it might attract more attention and allow us to get the truth out.

[Constantine XIII]

That's because there are an awful lot of ignorant people out there who can't find Louisiana on a map, believe that aliens frequent trailer parks, and that we fought in Iraq for oil.

Chances are, those same people don't know anything about history before 1960 and will tend to ascribe far more importance in their minds to a glitzy Hollywood production than a dusty old book their grandparents read.
Even though I'm a baptist, I can see why the Catholic Church would mobilize resources to educate people about why this movie is bogus. I'm sure other churches are doing the same. I know no one in my little Missionary Baptist church is going to go see the movie!

[BunnySlippers]

Sort of like the silence heard in response to Cardinal Mahoney's call to disobey federal law regarding illegals.

And Cardinal Mahoney's own silence when he was fully aware that young boys were being preyed upon by pedophiles in the church.

Mahoney knew that was NOT fiction.

[MineralMan]

"Were you *trying* to write like Johnny Cochran or am I sensitive?

If a person's faith can't withstand a trite little tome/movie like the Da Vinci Code I would submit they have no faith."

---

Of course I was. My point was that individuals can decide whether they should or should not attend any film. If they don't like the film, they can simply not go to it.

I always object when someone else decides things for me. I reserve that right to myself.

Will I see this movie? No doubt. I enjoyed the book, since it dealt with stuff I have read in other venues. It was an interesting novel. Do I think it is true? Nope. It's a novel. Do I think the Bible is true? Some of it, I suppose.

[last american]

And Cardinal Mahoney's own silence when he was fully aware that young boys were being preyed upon by pedophiles in the church. Mahoney knew that was NOT fiction.

Yup. Sad to say I am a former Catholic.. I could not take the hypocrisy and deceit from them anymore. My wife and daughter are devout, but I am not. It even got so bad that their parish priest who was OPENLY gay (lisp, swished etc.) was taken away after Ratzinger's decree and magically 2 days later all the playground equipment was burned to the ground -- his ticked off butt buddy did it.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Where did you read any demand from me for legal action or that I support a lawsuit by the Catholic Church?

At least a lawsuit is a lawful attempt for redress as opposed to Muslims burning and pillaging over a cartoon.

People may write or film what they want and we are free to denounce it publicly as trash.

[gondramB]

>>
The Roman Church has every right and indeed a responsiblity to defend the Lord and his flock and attack this worthless lying garbage. People can make up their own minds (they usually do) but the Pope can as well...and publicize it.<<

I read it recently. I didn't feel like the Lord or Christians was attacked but only some elements of Catholic leadership and Opus Dei - especially Opus Dei. Opus Dei was attacked top to bottom as a separate issue from the main story.

[maine-iac7]

The fictional story charges Jesus was secretly married and fathered a child for which there has never been any historical proof. It makes charges of a big Catholic Church "cover-up" of these alleged "facts."

LOL

lots of history-challenged folk out there.

Dan Brown is being given credit for something he didn't "make up/"

Good grief - the Internet - and history - is at your fingertips.

The assertion/belief/legend that MM and Jesus were married, etc, has been out there for 2000 years. There are books, accounts, etc - hundreds of years old on this.

In addition, just in the past 20-30 years, many book have come out on this - maybe Laurence Gardner and Margaret Starbird's books are the most prominent - both of whom are in a position of knowledge, education and access to records that render their books far above 'trash'

And their books are NOT fiction - as Brown's is - I find it amusing that there are books now that claim to expose the "lies" of Brown's book - a book of "fiction."

Whenever someone tells me not to read or watch or research something, I get suspicious. Seems like an elitist attitude - supposing they can better decide for me, like my mind is obviously inferior.

Here's something that will upset many an applecart = especially the inference that to the MM and Jesus relationship being a Dan Brown invention...

an obvioulsy pregnant MM - The inscription reads "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken from her" (Window in European church - long before there was a Dan Brown ;o)

Besides, what is so insidious about the thought that Jesus may have been married ? - Are they saying marriage is sacrilegious - or that, were Jesus married, as was the REQUIREMENT of a Jewish man - and more strictly, a Rabbi - somehow makes Jesus any less than He was? His main message was to show/teach us "the Way" to live our lives...

Seems to me that the human family is the whole reason for God having created us in the first place, and as such, a holy institution. Why wouldn't Jesus take part in it?

[drhogan]

the Illuminati are behind all the books that disprove their existence.
if people realized that they really exist, it would be much harder for them to hatch their diabolically schemes.
The Illuminati control hollywood, the public education system, most of the largest transnational corporations, the cia, etc.
and remember, if you think they DON'T exist, they have already won!