Cardinal Arinze, the Nigerian who was on the short list of
Pope John Paul II's possible successors, was blunt: "Those
who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the
Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult
us," he said. "There are some other religions which, if
you insult their founder, they will not be just talking."
The cardinal suggested that Christians take legal action against
"The Da Vinci Code" but did not specify what kind.
Another Vatican cardinal suggested that Catholics boycott the Ron
Howard film starring Tom Hanks.
That may not be necessary. The reviews of the movie, which opens
Friday, have been horrible - "You know a movie's a dud when
even its self-flagellating albino killer monk isn't any
fun," one reviewer wrote - so maybe there's no need for a
boycott.
In any case, the communications director of Opus Dei, Brian
Finnerty, told me that the group was not interested in any
boycotts. Although the novel and the film depict the group as a
secretive, renegade sect, Opus Dei is taking the notoriety as an
opportunity to educate the public about its true mission.
But it's just a movie, many say, so what's the big deal? About
the only way to explain the rancor and furor about this movie is
to imagine a major feature film with huge Hollywood stars being
made out of a novel that alleged an anti-Semitic conspiracy
theory. "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," starring
Harrison Ford? No way. Would Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic
Verses" ever be so widely promoted by a major studio? I
think not.
It's only a movie, right? Maybe not. A British poll conducted by
something called the Da Vinci Code Response Group found that
people are twice as likely to believe Jesus fathered children
after reading Dan Brown's novel and four times likely to believe
that Opus Dei is a murderous sect.
The group's coordinator, Austin Ivereigh, said: "For many it
is just fiction. But an alarming number of people take its
spurious claims very seriously indeed. From the start, the
marketing strategy behind 'The Da Vinci Code' has been to claim
that it is based on respected theories. Brown and Sony have
encouraged people to take it seriously, while hiding behind the
claim that it is fiction. Our poll shows they should take
responsibility for their dishonesty, and issue a health
warning."
Several polite letters to Sony Pictures and director Ron Howard
from Opus Dei and the Catholic League requesting that a
disclaimer be added to the beginning of the film have been
ignored. Meanwhile, there are reports of mounting global protests
and the film received a negative reaction from the viewers at
Cannes. Stories have even surfaced that copies of Dan Brown's
novel have been publicly burned. I wonder: Wouldn't that increase
sales?
Getting angry about a work of fiction that offends one faith is
understandable, but the smart thing to do is exactly what Opus
Dei is doing. The organization is using the film to promote its
charitable mission. Last Monday, the group held a fund-raiser for
Harambee, which is a program supporting various educational
opportunities in Africa. It operates a professional training
program in Sudan for refugees fleeing the civil war there; a
training program in Kenya for faculty in elementary and high
school, and a health service program in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
The reality is that Opus Dei is a group that I could never belong
to because I'm just not that great a Catholic. Oh, my faith is
strong, but it's a constant struggle for me to do just the
minimum requirement of keeping the Sabbath holy. Opus Dei members
strive to achieve spirituality in their daily lives according to
Christ's teachings. They are seriously knock, knock, knocking on
heaven's door, while I'm planning for a long stay in purgatory.
Opus Dei members are the people you see doing the corporal works
of mercy that Christ asked his followers to do. They feed the
hungry and visit the sick and those in prison, etc. They have
done this quietly for decades - and now their cover has been
blown. That's really not such a bad thing.
I've even learned that Opus Dei does have a member named Silas,
but he's not a murderous albino monk like the one played by Paul
Bettany in the film. Instead, he's a Nigerian stockbroker who
lives with his wife in Brooklyn, and he cheerfully suggests that
instead of the "Code," we should go see "Over the
Hedge," an animated adventure about animals that my
grandkids are going to enjoy this weekend.
As for those who insist, "It's just a book, it's just a
movie," I have to remind them that no one has forbidden the
publication of the novel or the making of the film. Dan Brown has
every right to write whatever he wants. Ron Howard can direct any
movie he likes. This is after all, America, the land of free
expression.
I, on the other hand, have the right not to buy the book or see
the film.