Opus Dei Asks For Disclaimer On "Da Vinci Code"

[Gold9472]

Opus Dei asks for disclaimer on ‘Da Vinci Code’
Conservative group depicted as murderous in novel bound for big screen

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12334110/

Updated: 9:11 p.m. ET April 15, 2006

ROME - The conservative religious group Opus Dei has asked for a disclaimer on the upcoming film based on the best-selling novel “The Da Vinci Code.”

Opus Dei, portrayed as a murderous, power-hungry sect in the novel by Dan Brown, wrote in an April 6 letter to Sony Corp. that a disclaimer would show respect to Jesus and to the Catholic Church.

“Any such decision by Sony would be a gesture of respect toward the figure of Jesus, to the history of the Church and to the religious beliefs of viewers,” Opus Dei wrote in the letter, which was posted on its Italian Web site.

“The Da Vinci Code” contends that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants, and that Opus Dei and the Catholic Church were at the center of a cover up.

A spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment declined to say whether the film would bear a disclaimer.

“We have no plans to reveal any details regarding what is or isn’t in the film until the release,” the spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said in a statement. Kennedy’s statement said the film was “a work of fiction, and at its heart, it’s a thriller, not a religious tract.”

The film starring Tom Hanks is slated for release next month.

Opus Dei, which has close ties to the Vatican, has described “The Da Vinci Code” as offering a deformed image of the Catholic Church.

On Friday, the priest who preaches before the pope in Advent and Lent denounced what he called works that slander the church for profit.

“Christ is still sold, but not any more for 30 coins,” the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Good Friday homily before Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica, referring to Jesus’ betrayal by the Apostle Judas before his crucifixion, “but to publishers and booksellers for billions of coins.”

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“Christ is still sold, but not any more for 30 coins,” the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Good Friday homily before Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica, referring to Jesus’ betrayal by the Apostle Judas before his crucifixion, “but to publishers and booksellers for billions of coins.”

Heh, that's rich (rather like the Vatican). The Church has been pimping Jesus for cash since the Council of Nicea.

Actually, I read the Da Vinci Code yesterday - it's not very good, and has really shite ending. But *SPOLIER ALERT*

Despite what the Opus Dei letter says above, it doesn't actually portray Opus Dei in a bad light at all. As teh novel progresses you find out that Opus Dei is being used by 'The Teacher' for his own ends - the killer is an Opus Dei member but he is acting on orders from The Teacher, not from Opus Dei. The Opus Dei bishop involved has no idea the murders are taking place and moves to stop them when he does find out. The Bishop's over-roding concern is for his organisation's continued ties to the Vatican which are under threat from the new 'liberal Pope'. Opus Dei comes out of the novel appearing less of a power hungry rightwing cult and more of a scared but devout child fearing for its very existence. Even the Vatican angle is left ambigious as to wether they were involved in an earlier murder, or whether it was just a fortuitous accident.

This leads me to wonder if any of these Catholic groups actually even read the novel!

[Gold9472]

Heh, that's rich (rather like the Vatican). The Church has been pimping Jesus for cash since the Council of Nicea.

Actually, I read the Da Vinci Code yesterday - it's not very good, and has really shite ending. But *SPOLIER ALERT*

Despite what the Opus Dei letter says above, it doesn't actually portray Opus Dei in a bad light at all. As teh novel progresses you find out that Opus Dei is being used by 'The Teacher' for his own ends - the killer is an Opus Dei member but he is acting on orders from The Teacher, not from Opus Dei. The Opus Dei bishop involved has no idea the murders are taking place and moves to stop them when he does find out. The Bishop's over-roding concern is for his organisation's continued ties to the Vatican which are under threat from the new 'liberal Pope'. Opus Dei comes out of the novel appearing less of a power hungry rightwing cult and more of a scared but devout child fearing for its very existence. Even the Vatican angle is left ambigious as to wether they were involved in an earlier murder, or whether it was just a fortuitous accident.

This leads me to wonder if any of these Catholic groups actually even read the novel!

See this (http://www.yourbbsucks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9579)?

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See this (http://www.yourbbsucks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9579)?

Yeah, I'm downloading a torrent of it now. I can send you the link if you want?

[Gold9472]

Yeah, I'm downloading a torrent of it now. I can send you the link if you want?

Nah, I really don't want to see it.

:lol:

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Catholics form Da Vinci film team
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4979942.stm)


Leading UK Catholics and members of Opus Dei have formed a group to respond to the negative impact the Da Vinci Code film is expected to bring. The Da Vinci Code Response Group, which also includes a Benedictine abbot and two priests, has condemned Dan Brown's book as "fiction trading as fact".

The group criticised its "damaging and grotesque" account of their faith.

The comments come just weeks before the film version of the novel, starring Tom Hanks, is due to be released.

'Deceived'

The book, which has sold 40 millions copies worldwide, has been attacked for portraying the Catholic Church as a shadowy organisation that has spent 2,000 years covering up Christ's bloodline.

The response group is being co-ordinated by Austen Ivereigh, the director for public affairs of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

In a statement the group said: "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.

"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."

Disclaimer plea

Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic group with 86,000 members worldwide, are particularly angry about their order being portrayed as murderous and power-crazed.

The organisation has arranged special information evenings in London for the public and has asked Sony Pictures, which produced the new film, to include a caption explaining the film is fiction.

Sony has previously declined to reveal whether the film would carry such a disclaimer.

Opus Dei's communications director Jack Valero said he believed it was important to make it clear.

"The book is obviously trying to present fictional things as factual, and trying to deceive people in that way," he said.

"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 premiere on 17 May at the Cannes Film Festival before going on general release worldwide on 19 May.