Dan Brown versus Vatican: 2nd war

The Da Vinci Code upset the Vatican and some Catholics because of its storyline. After giving the Vatican much to complain about with ‘The Da Vinci Code’, symbologist Robert Langdon returns to the big screen as an unlikely Vatican ally in ‘Angels and Demons’. Read the synopsis of the movie.

This movie directed by Ron Howard is the latest movie adaptation of a novel by author Dan Brown, set to release on the 15th of May.

The film-makers were refused permission to use locations controlled by the Diocese of Rome. "Normally, we would read the script, but in this case the name 'Dan Brown' was enough.” said Father Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Church.

In the United States, Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, accused Brown and Howard of "smearing the Catholic Church with fabulously bogus tales." The church leaders also believe that Howard’s movies might make people misinterpret the Catholic faith.

Howard responded by saying that neither he nor his new movie were anti-Catholic. He wrote in a post on The Huffington Post website-"And let me be a little controversial: I believe Catholics, including most in the hierarchy of the Church, will enjoy the movie for what it is: an exciting mystery set in the awe-inspiring beauty of Rome."

Dan Brown too gave his interesting explanation at an interview. He said, “I imagine some controversy is unavoidable, yes, although it's important to remember that Angels & Demons is primarily a thriller--a chase and a love story. It's certainly not an anti-Catholic book. It's not even a religious book…… The final message of the novel, though, without a doubt, is a positive one.”