Why doesn't he just take out a fatwa on them for insulting Christendom?
bump
Well, in the USA, being offended by a movie that doesn't agree with your religious beliefs is not actionable. I don't know about Italy.
In my opinion, the answer to such movies is different:
If the film offends.
Please don't attend.
Well, don't leave us in suspense. What are the many levels of hypocrisy?
Free PR for a fictional book.
Does everyone remember the fictional "national treasure" movie?
The best thing that couldhave been done is to ignore the movie.
I don't see how it's hypocritical. Europe has all sorts of restrictions on free speech - think "hate speech" laws carried to an extreme - and, while I don't agree with the principle of that kind of law, everybody certainly has a right to use them.
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).
The Catholic Church and its officials have a right to publicly denounce the book and movie as patently offensive to Christians.
In contrast to raging Muslims, offended by newspaper cartoons drawn of their prophet, I haven't heard of any Christians burning and looting in the streets over this blasphemy of our deeply held faith.
Christians throughout the world can, and should, avoid watching this offensive trash posing as entertainment.
LOL! Boy, those church leaders NEVER learn do they???
The more you cry and scream about being "offended" by something, the more curious people become and want to see it. "The Last Temptation of Christ" was a perfect example. The movie sucked and lasted TWICE as long at the box office than it would had the Church kept its mouth shut.
The Da Vinci Code is a wonderful and entertaining book... of FICTION!
"hyposcrisy on many levels"
Oh, really?
For instance?
Hypocrisy or not, after Piss Christ and Mary in Elephant Dung, I am actually happy that the Church is responding to "art" that does not please the Church. The DC is nice fiction, but I don't see much evidence of truth.
Much ado about nothing.
The book, written by Dan Brown, has sold more than 40 million copies.
Could that be the real irritant for the Church?
Perhaps they're not getting their "tithe" of the profits.
"All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."
That is how Dan Brown starts his fiction..and that has led to the main problem...it is a lie!
As for hypocrisy - the hypocrisy stands with the Hollywood anti Christian establishment that seeks to offend every Christian...any time the opportunity presents itself...even in the form of the charlatan Brown.
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.
The Greek Orthoox Church has also debunked this trash.
http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article9540.asp
How hypocritical exactly?
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.
The Catholic church is getting so worked up over this that I'm starting to wonder if the book is actually on to something. Methinks they doth protest too much.
Lets all propose legal action against all of the pedophiles in the Catholic Church.
"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."
They're absolutely right and so refreshing to hear. I fail to see the "hypocrisy."