The Hindu

• It is commercialisation of religion, say Catholic leaders
• “The book has done great injustice to the authenticity of Christianity as a faith”
• “The film has tried to undermine the spirit of religion for monetary gains”

Mangalore, May 19: A feeling of resentment over Da Vinci Code has gripped this coastal city, which is known as known as "Rome of the East."

It is ‘commercialisation of religion’ and ‘selling the lives of great souls for profiteering,’ feel leaders of the Catholic community.

Senior administrator and priest Fr Lawrance D'Souza said it had disturbed a section of society. Certain congregations of the faith had been depicted in a poor light, he said.

That over 290 Christian groups had appealed to the Government against the film pointed to the fact that there had been considerable resentment in the country against it, he said.

Fr D'Souza said he was personally against sensationalising religious beliefs. The film, Da Vinci Code, was a product of fiction and the matter should stop there, Fr D'Souza added.

Senior scholar of Christianity at the St Joseph's Seminary at Jeppu Fr Santhosh said that the book had done great injustice to the authenticity of Christianity as a faith. There was unnecessary reference to the administration of Vatican and the various congregations, he said.

Fr Santhosh said there was no doubt that the book and the film were products of fiction, but one could not project something untrue as true even in fiction.

He said there was no factual or historical evidence showing that the books written by Peter and Thomas could be recognised as gospels. Hence any reference to the happenings in the life of Jesus Christ — whether he married Mary Magdalene or he died in India — could not be established with authority.

"As we know, Jesus Christ lived to proclaim the kingdom of god and there cannot be any other joy to true Christians than that," Fr Santhosh added.

“This was a major attack on the very roots of Christianity, which had to be condemned in no uncertain terms, said Fr Francis Serrao, Rector of St Aloysius institutions.

Christianity had been attacked so many times in the recent past, but this was the worst. The film had tried to undermine the spirit of religion for monetary gains, he said.