from Fr. Louis’ bulletin column 6/4/06

In a 13 May 2006 letter to the priests, deacons and faithful of the Diocese of La Crosse, Bishop Listecki wrote: “It is impossible not to notice the sensation that has been created by the release of the movie The Da Vinci Code, based on the bestselling book of three years ago. Despite being a work of fiction, Dan Brown makes the claim at the beginning that ‘all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.’ As a result, there are those who recognize on the one hand that the story and characters are fictional, but on the other hand consider or accept the historical and religious content as true. However entertaining the book and the movie may be, we must remind ourselves of the basic truth about Jesus Christ that this book (and movie) so grossly distorts – that He is truly God and man, and offered Himself in sacrificial love on the Cross for our salvation. We do not worship a God who hides Himself in codes and riddles that only the ‘enlightened’ can discover. We believe that Jesus Christ preached salvation to all, and that this same Gospel, understandable to even the simplest soul, is the ultimate sign of God’s love for us. Over the centuries, men and women have witnessed to the fact of the living Jesus, a witness made perfect in martyrdom. How can we ignore the blood that proclaimed to the world the truth of Christ Jesus now challenged by a work of fiction? I would urge you as faithful followers of Christ Jesus to know how to respond to the questions that this movie raises, so that you might assist others to discover the saving truth about God. There is an abundance of resources available . . . that respond clearly and charitably to the falsehoods that The Da Vinci Code puts forth as ‘fact,’ . . . I encourage you to make use of these and other resources.” Saint Peter’s has made available to you one such resource entitled The Da Vinci Deception by Mark Shea and Edward Sri. For a free-will offering you may pick up a copy in the Saint Faustina Room. It is in a brief, easy-to-read, question-and-answer format. Another excellent book in the same style and format is The Da Vinci Code and the Catholic Tradition by Nancy De Flon and John Vidmar. The most comprehensive resource is The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. Some of the best resources on the internet include www.davinciantidote.com and www.jesusdecoded.com.