AUSTRALIA’S Catholic bishops have issued an open letter denouncing The Da Vinci Code as a work of fiction and inviting those interested in the facts to learn the truth about the Christian faith.
The letter, from Bishops’ Committee for the Media chairman Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth, was posted on the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Web site on April 18, ahead of next month’s release of The Da Vinci Code movie.
Archbishop Hickey said: “Those who have read The Da Vinci Code might have followed some of the controversy it has stoked regarding the true nature of Jesus Christ and the Church that he founded.”
He said, however, the Catholic Church in Australia welcomed any interest in Jesus Christ that had been generated by The Da Vinci Code.
The Web page at www.acbc.catholic.org.au/DaVinciCode.html offers a compilation of resources to help people navigate their way through any confusion caused by the false claims in the storyline.
Archbishop Hickey said in the first instance people could contact the Catholic Enquiry Centre at www.catholicenquiry.com or their nearest Catholic parish and ask for an appointment to see the parish priest.
