Washington D.C., May 17, 2006 / 22:00 pm
An interfaith coalition is calling for the boycott of The Da Vinci Code movie because “it seeks to profit off [anti-Catholic] bigotry, it proselytizes Satanism and it undermines the dignity of women.”
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday and will open on theatres worldwide Friday.
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, made the statement on behalf of the coalition yesterday at the National Press Club.
The Interfaith Coalition Against The Da Vinci Code includes Dr. Ted Baehr of Movieguide.org, Don Feder, Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society, and Bob Knight of Concerned Women for America.
“Sony’s Da Vinci Code, the movie, seeks to profit off the permissible prejudice of anti-Catholic bigotry,” said Fr. Euteneuer. “If [director] Ron Howard were to replace the word Catholic every time it appeared in the Da Vinci Code with Jew or Muslim, the outcry from the mainstream media would have rightfully been deafening.”
Furthermore, he said, “The Da Vinci Code is filled with contradictions, nonsensical statements, and innumerable artistic and historical inaccuracies.”
“Why is it acceptable to slander Christians generally and Catholics specifically? If Sony profits from anti-Catholic bigotry this May, what can we expect in the future? Next summer, will they seek to profit off anti-Semitism?” he said.
“Sony must get the message loud and clear: you can not profit from hate,” he continued. “Let us reject bigotry and boycott Sony’s Da Vinci Code movie.”