The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece last week joined other ecclesiastical bodies in criticizing the upcoming movie, "The Da Vinci Code," which will be released this week. The church strongly took issue with author Dan Brown's premise that Jesus Christ was not crucified, but rather lived to marry Mary Magdalene and raise children, and with his portrayal of Christ as an imperfect man with weaknesses. The church labeled the film "completely untrue" and said it "insults" religious sensibilities. However, the ANA reports, "the Holy Synod underlined that it will not issue any recommendation on whether the faithful should or should not see the movie or read the novel."

In some ways the controversy echoes the one over Martin Scorsese's 1988 film "The Last Temptation of Christ," based on the 1955 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, jurisdictionally separate from Greece's Autocephalous church, likewise seems eager use the release of "The Da Vinci Code" to launch into a didactic response, with both articles and upcoming podcasts by Archbishop Demetrius to be published on its website.  One article states: "Although the novel is sold as fiction, many readers consider it truth, and the high profile of the movie will further confuse the public." ("An Orthodox Response to the Da VInci Code")

The movie, "The Da Vinci Code," stars Tom Hanks who is married to Rita Wilson, herself a half-Greek who produced the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." (My Big Fat Greek Column)

Related links:

Kathimerini: Church reply to ‘Da Vinci’

Celebrate the Da Vinci Code

Gnosticism comes to forefront in debate over film

Ioannides: Greek Orthodox and Western Views of the Passion and Easter

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Friday, May 12, 2006

Turkey Embroiled in Genocide Disputes
As the world waits for Turkey to honestly assess its past

Hurriyet is reporting Turkey's president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, has sent a letter to President Jacques Chirac of France, ahead of the May 18 debates in the French parliament on a bill which would make it a crime to publicly deny the Turkish genocide against the Armenians. The letter states that any actions taken to ruin or disrupt "friendship and cooperation between the two countries ... would be to the advantage of neither country." (Sezer sends Chirac letter on subject of Armenian genocide bill)

Meanwhile, Turkey's Ambassador to France, Osman Koruturk, has ominously told his counterpart, the French Ambassador to Ankara, Paul Poudade, that "this subject is very important to Turkey, do not underestimate the reaction of the Turkish public."

The VOA is reporting Turkey has pulled out of a NATO military exercise in Canada and pulled its ambassador after Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, last week characterized the mass slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks as genocide.  (Turkey in Genocide Dispute with NATO Allies)

The Turkish Press Review reports Turkey has issued a sharp protest against the Pontic Hellenism genocide monument which was opened in Athens last Friday. (Turkey protests new Pontic Monument in Athens)

Meanwhile an Australian senator of Greek descent, Tzeni Mikakou, made a statement in the Australian parliament last week referring to the slaughter and uprooting of one million Pontic Hellenes from their homelands during 1923-1926, and the death of 353.000 people from hardship and Turkish atrocities. Two colleagues of Turkish descent threatened her with "interior party war." (Australian Parliament-Reactions over Pontian Genocide.)

The VOA concludes, "despite the Ankara government's tough rhetoric, including veiled threats of economic sanctions against France, public debate on the fate of the Ottoman Armenians is growing in Turkey. Some prominent Turkish academics have gone as far as to say that the mass killings did amount to genocide."

The world is waiting for the voices of these honest Turks to be heard.

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