Nun leads Protestants in rally against The Cinematic Code

Or something like that, according to this Softpedia newspiece:

Actor Tom Hanks had to faced the protesters, including nuns, gathered outside the Lincoln Cathedral, as the movie shooting for "The Da Vinci Code" started.

The religious leaders agreed movie's producers to film in this location only after a donation of $180,000. Nevertheless, the protestants led by nuns gathered outside the cathedral, in a 12 hour prayer vigil held by Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael. (emphasis added).

Another article about the protests has several quotes from Sister Mary Michael, 61, who "knelt in prayer outside the building where scenes for the blockbuster starring Tom Hanks are being shot."

“When I face Almighty God, at my final judgment, as we all will, I can say, I did try my best, I did try my best to protest.”

Sister Mary, a former Discalced Carmelite who now belongs to Our Lady's Community of Peace and Mercy in Lincoln, said a storyline that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that she bore him a child was based on a gnostic heresy that she first became aware of 50 years ago.

“It is an old error, derived from the mystery faiths of the east. It is not a new story,” she said.

Dan Brown has said for quite some time (via his website) that nuns are among his biggest fans: "...              I should mention that priests, nuns, and clergy contact me all the time to thank me for writing the novel. ... Much of the positive response I get from within organized religion comes from nuns (who write to thank me for pointing out that they have sacrificed their entire lives to the Church and are still considered "unfit" to serve behind the altar)." Sounds as though one nun hasn't been attracted to the Coded Catnip. Way to go, Sister Mary!

Meanwhile, The Independent reports that "Churches fear damage from curse of 'The Da Vinci Code'":

Experts are warning that hordes of tourists are removing stone work, hymn books and other fittings, and could even carve their initials in the walls of churches featured in the novel. Buildings such as the Temple Church and Westminster Abbey, which are inundated with visitors clutching copies of the novel, have already complained of thefts and vandalism. With the release of the film, currently in production, the churches are braced for another huge increase in sightseers.

Now the trustees at Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, Scotland, where the book suggests the Holy Grail could be buried, fear that a surge in tourist numbers could cause a rise in humidity within the chapel, irreparably damaging the unique sandstone carvings. The trustees have also discussed concerns of graffiti and theft of pieces of stone from the chapel.

And to think that "it's just a novel."

Comments

[Sandra Miesel]

The damaged sites should bill Dan Brown. He could pay them with his pocket change.

[Deacon John M. Bresnahan]

That Anglican Church leaders would allow themselves to be bribed to allow a Hollywood bashing of orthodox Christianity to be filmed in one of their cathedrals is almost as bad as the sex scandals in the Catholic Church.

[fidens]

"That Anglican Church leaders would allow themselves to be bribed to allow a Hollywood bashing of orthodox Christianity to be filmed in one of their cathedrals is almost as bad as the sex scandals in the Catholic Church."

Err, no. Not even close. Aside from the physical and psychological damage done to victims of abusive Priests, I have no doubt that the spiritual damage done to the Body of Christ outstrips anything DVC can dish out? Why? Because the scandal has hardened the hearts of many non-Catholics to the truth AND caused many otherwise good Catholics to lose faith. In my experience, most protestants find the DVC as offensive as Catholics do.

[Pat Gonzalez]

It's still unfathomable to me how anyone can take this book so seriously! I've commented previously on how badly written it is, and how illogical the timeline for the plot is, but DVC just sails on and on and on .... I really admire Sr. Mary, and hope that her story makes people stop and think about what a piece of dreck DVC is. Yeesh ... and Sandra, good comment above about Mr. Brown. Maybe he can also usesome of his "pocket change" to pay for remedial English writing classes -- God knows he needs them!