March 16, 2005
The Vatican Hates The Da Vinci Code
According to smh.com.au -
“Don’t read it, and above all, don’t even buy the Da Vinci Code,” Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, deputy head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Vatican radio.
(and later)
“the book is everywhere. There is a very real risk that many people who read it will believe that the fables it contains are true.”
Uh-huh. Now, I understand why they don’t like it, after all - the story is not the best advertisement for the Vatican, and they have a business an institution to run so it’s no surprise they’re not handing the book out in the (sadly non-existent) Confirmation Day Goody Bag. But encouraging people not to read it at all, as though followers of the Roman-Catholic faith shouldn’t be given the opportunity to make up their own mind about it, well - it reeks of paranoia, like there’s something in there they don’t want people to even consider.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying I believe The Big J fathered some kiddies on the sly and the Church has hidden the truth from us. I’m not saying the book proved the Son of God was married to Mary Magdalene. The book is a work of fiction, after all. A great, rollicking, fascinating read to be sure, but it’s not a piece of investigative journalism on the Vatican and Church history, it’s the adventures of a character created by the author Dan Brown and it happens to have a plot which involves the Church.
That said, the book did indeed make me think. Is that so terrible? I don’t care if it’s a novel, it provoked me and it encouraged me to contemplate the faith I grew up with, and the spirituality I’ve developed as an adult. I was stirred into reassessing exactly what the concept of God means to me, which sounds awfully Guy Sebastian but you know what I mean. Is that so awful? Is the idea of people searching for (and hopefully finding) God in their own hearts rather than through following Church ritual such a bad thing?
To point out the obvious, it would appear as if the Vatican is deathly afraid its flock might begin to question the way things are and have always been in the Catholic Church and that any conclusions they draw won’t be in the Church’s favour.
Genuine concern over the souls of its followers, or simply an effort to ensure a successful financial future? I hope it’s the former and sadly suspect it could be the latter.
So what am I saying? I don’t know. I just found it all rather interesting, and felt like writing a post with no real point or conclusion, for a change.
PS: I won’t be able to respond to any comments or feedback today until after work but it’s not due to lack of love. I just can’t access ausculture.com anymore. Thankfully, Jo Freeway 9 has become a member of my unholy army of the night a surrogate blog poster for me so I’m still able to blog from afar. Does that make sense? Probably not. I still love you though. Happy Bloggington Love Day! xxx
— Filed under Common
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“people who read it will believe that the fables it contains are true”
Now, why do I automatically think about another book when I hear that from a Cardinal…?
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Actually it’s based on a book called Holy Blood, Holy Grail http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440136482/104-6805469-1193510 which was presented as serious research, but which was later proved to be based mostly on made up facts or misinterpretations…
Although the bits about Jesus and Mary being married are considered likely by some theologians - and many believe she even had her own book of the Bible of which there are bits still in existence.
Not sure what the point of all these facts are. Just thought they were interesting…
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I suppose the reason why the big no. 1 church doesn’t like debate and consideration is because they consider their version of Catholicism to be the right one and the only true one.
I guess this would be a combination of religious conservatism and a love of good money.
P.S - Bloggington Love Day was… lovely, Jess. You’ve started something very sweet, and I hope it happens again next year.
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Hope for Aspiring Authors
The Da Vinci Code made me think too. It made me wonder how Dan Brown ever managed to get the book published, rather than being scheduled with a delusional disorder. I read an amusing post along these lines on the Back Pages a while back.
The Vatican, always such a fave of conspiracy theorists everywhere, sure knows how to assuage people’s delusions.
BTW - I wonder if your work server is blocking ausculture because of the recurrence of the phrase “Kyle Sandilands is a cunt”. Nobody wants employees accessing Sandilands-related material at work.
Come on, its a good book, I loved it. People just need to get over the fact that its fiction and he never suggested the conspiricy was actually fact.
Church needs to get over it, critics need to get over it, people who wont read it but still like to knock it need to get over it.