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Sunday, May 21, 2006
Marian congress delegates speak up v. 'Da Vinci Code'
By Jovy S. Taghoy
CEBU CITY -- Pro-life advocates in Cebu Saturday joined the bandwagon of several organizations and individuals objecting to the film "The Da Vinci Code."
The stand of the advocates led by Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, executive director of the Human Life International (HLI) Philippines, also gained the support of Bishop Camilo Gregorio, a former auxiliary bishop in the Cebu Archdiocese and now assigned in the Batanes Group of Islands.
Both Bullecer and Gregorio described the film as "the most blasphemous film against Jesus Christ and an offense to the sensibilities of the Catholic faithful."
Gregorio was in Cebu City Saturday as one of the invited speakers of the two-day Pro-Life National Marian Congress 2006 spearheaded by Bullecer's group at Midtown Hotel.
The activity carried the theme, "Mary: Queen of Heaven and Earth and Mediatrix of all Grace."
In his speech that summed up the activity Saturday, Gregorio urged everyone to continue to overcome evil by doing good through prayers and penance.
Describing abortion and the proliferation of literary works and movies such as "The Da Vinci Code," "In the Name of God" and "Gospel of Judas" as "the new onslaught against life," Gregorio said that with the help of the Blessed Mary, "we hope, we strive, we fight to overcome evil by good."
These kinds of fictitious works, Gregorio said, are a means to offend the church.
Gregorio, later interviewed by Sun.Star, said that while he is confident that the movie will not affect the foundation of the faithful, "out of propriety, basic courtesy and respect to the feelings of the believers," the movie should not have been shown.
"I am not worried but it irks me.... The faith is very strong but why do we have to unnecessarily disturb the faith?" Gregorio said.
Bullecer, who also served as the chairman of Cebu Anti-Indecency Board, earlier sent a letter to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board about the organizations' objections.
A documentary titled "Unmasking the Da Vinci Code" was played Saturday, featuring interviews with authors who have comments on Dan Brown's best-selling book.
During the gathering, Bishop Filomeno Bactol of Biliran in the Diocese of Naval also criticized the proponents of the "anti-life bills" such as House Bill (HB) 3773 or Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act; HB 634, which prohibits gender discrimination; and HB 4016, or the Divorce bill. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(May 21, 2006 issue)
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