Nun Protests Knight's Betrayal

Scenes for Ron Howard's new film The Da Vinci Code are being shot in England's Lincoln Cathedral. A Catholic nun decided to say something.

From Ecumenical News International / 16 August 2005

A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Mary Michael, has led a prayer vigil outside England's Lincoln Cathedral in protest at the filming there of "The Da Vinci Code".

The film's producers are reported to have donated 100 000 British pounds (US$180 000) for the facility after Anglican church officials at Westminster Abbey in London refused permission.

The 61-year-old Sister Mary belongs to Our Lady's Community of Peace and Mercy order in Lincoln, eastern England. During a 12-hour vigil on 15 August she led a group of protesters who greeted Hollywood actor Tom Hanks as he arrived and hurried inside for the shooting of the book's final scenes. On 16 August she returned for a lone protest.

The nun told journalists the church should not accept money for something that was not a true story and that instead its members should be praying more for funds to arrive. Her action, she added, was intended to make a reparation to God for the blasphemy that was taking place.

The Dean, the Rev. Alec Knight described "The Da Vinci Code" as a "load of old tosh" and "balderdash".

Dean Knight told Ecumenical News International: "The way to deal with a conspiracy theory as expounded in The DaVinci Code is not to throw up your hands in horror and have nothing to do with it. Better to say: you present your evidence and we will present ours. The evidence from the Gospels is far superior to the evidence Dan Brown puts into the mouths of so-called experts."

He defended the decision to allow filming on the grounds that if it attracted people to the Cathedral, it also gave clergy the opportunity to interest them in the Gospel.

Apparently not many others care one way or the other. Perhaps few belong to the cathedral parish, or they are just fine with filming the Code in the same location in which they worship on Sundays. Dean Knight can be bought. Perhaps the roof leaks and they are in desperate need of funds.

In any event, while Dean Knight might be able to engage a few of the visitors to the cathedral--with "the Gospel"-- he won't be able to engage the millions of viewers of the movie when it plays around the world. But since someone was bound to give Ron Howard and company permission to film in a church, Knight maybe figured that Lincoln Cathedral may as well get the cash. His explanation? Tosh, balderdash.

Comments

[Daniel Crandall]

Somewhat OT: I find it rather interesting that Tom Hanks, a convert to the Greek Orthodox Church, has taken on the lead role in this film. Has he given a moments thought to the effect this small fact may have on dialog between Eastern and Western Christians? Or am I mistaken that a Greek Orthodox staring in a film that slanders the Catholic Church will matter to anyone?

[Jim Kushiner]

I have not seen anything to indicate that Tom Hanks would be taken any more seriously as a representative of Orthodox Christianity than would a Catholic such as, say, Nicole Kidman be taken seriously as a representative of Catholicism if she were to star in a film that trashed the Reformation or Christianity in general. If I were an Orthodox priest, though, I would have something to say to Hanks the next time he approached the Chalice. But I am not. In short, I don't think it will have any effect on East-West dialogue, nor should it. But it ought to have some repercussions for Tom Hanks. Not that it will. In this life, I mean.

[James Kabala]

I believe that Rita Wilson, Hanks's wife, is Orthodox (how seriously or small-o orthodoxly I don't know) and that Hanks's "conversion" was more a "might as well go to the same church as the wife" thing than a serious spiritual experience.
The film clearly is incompatible with Orthodoxy as well as with Catholicism.

[Bill R]

Well, at least the Dean got a better deal than Judas!

[Michael]

Though I don't think the Church's property should be used for the film, I agree with Dean Knight's confidence in the superiority of biblical evidence.

[Scott Y]

Tom Hanks' playing a part in this movie doesn't just slander the Roman Catholic church, but the Orthodox church that he belongs to as well. The "secrets" revealed in the Davinci theory go back to the early church before there was any schism between the East and West. This story isn't "Roman bashing" it's "Christ bashing". And since Mr Hanks is a member of the Orthodox church, it should be a particular affront to his own communion.

[Darrin Roush]

The Orthodox consider it every bit as offensive as any other Christian group. The Russian Orthodox, for example, have practically called it "blasphemy."

See: http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/03/01/davincicode.shtml