Philadelphia, Pa., May 1, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Several books and resources have been developed by Catholics to set the record straight about the false claims made about their faith in Dan Brown’s bestselling fiction novel, The Da Vinci Code, the film version of which will be released in theatres May 19.
The Catholic Church has given its imprimatur to “The Da Vinci Deception: 100 Questions and Answers about the Facts and Fiction of The Da Vinci Code,” published by Ascension Press.
The 144-page book counters allegations made by The Da Vinci Code. An imprimatur is an official declaration that a literary work is free from errors in Catholic doctrine and morals. It was granted by Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia.
Carl Olson of Eugene, Oregon has also written “The Da Vinci Hoax,” a 340-page, heavily footnoted book that seeks to debunk many of Brown’s assertions about Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the Catholic Church. Olson and his co-author Sandra Miesel have been giving talks around the country to mostly Catholic audiences.
In Malta, the Catholic Church will issue a manual that responds to questions raised by the novel in mid-May. The Institute of Pastoral Formation will organize other events and initiatives on themes raised by the book.