The imminent arrival of the film The Da Vinci Code, which opens in cinemas across Ireland on May 19th, has spurred the interdenominational Hope Ireland group into advance action to counteract any negative influence it may have on people's Christian faith.
The group has launched a nationwide educational project aimed at "clarifying and dealing with questions and errors" arising from the film.
This involves school, parish, and media presentations, as well as the launching of a new information website (www.davincicodeireland.com). Details of presentations are available on the site.
It is also hosting "information evenings" in the Republic and Northern Ireland in the lead-up to the film's launch. As part of this national campaign, it is sponsoring a speaking tour of Ireland by Mark Shea, the American author of The Da Vinci Deception.
Mr Shea will speak in Queen's University Belfast on Monday at 8pm; at the Drummond hotel,Limavady, Co Derry, at 8pm, this day week; and at Cafe Java on Limerick's Catherine Street, tomorrow week, at 8pm also.
Last Thursday, the group hosted a public seminar on the film/book at Queen's University with Fr Tim Bartlett of the Irish Bishops' Conference and Paul Harman of the Opus Dei information office. Last Saturday, it hosted a public lecture in Dublin's Artane, with further lectures planned for the Iona Centre, Knocklyon, in Dublin, on Wednesday, May 17th, and Sunday, May 27th, at 8pm, and at the Keadeen hotel in Newbridge, Co Kildare, on Thursday, May 18th, also at 8pm.
Hope Ireland was established in 2004 ahead of the release of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. It is a broadbased alliance of people interested in religious matters who see The Da Vinci Code film "as an opportunity to clarify the truth about Jesus Christ, the Catholic hurch, Opus Dei and the historical accuracy of the Gospels".
Opus Dei is portrayed in a less-than-flattering light in The Da Vinci Code, but speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Paul Harman said their approach is "don't complain, don't criticise" when it came to the book/film, which they saw "as an opportunity to explain Catholicism".
Mr Harman recommended two websites: www.jesusdecoded.com, sponsored by the US Catholic Bishops' Conference; and www.davincicode-opusdei, a blog by Fr John Wauck, a priest in Rome.
