CBCI Demands ban on two controversial films affecting the Christian community in India

(May 11, 2006) : The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) strongly protested Thursday the release of the Films: ‘Da Vinci Code’ by Sony Pictures, which will be released on 19^th May worldwide and ‘Tickle My Funny Bone’ by Yogendra Konkar. Da Vince Code is a false and an irreverent portrayal of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, as a married man and having progeny, which dangerously attacks the very root of Christian Faith. Tickle my Funny Bone is a caricature of religious persons of the Church, who sacrifice their life in the service of God and people. These movies belittle what is at the heart of Christian Faith and cherished in Christian Life, they hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian Community in the country and are therefore blasphemous, and totally unacceptable to the Christian community. Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes, Secretary General of CBCI has demanded immediate withdrawal of the proposed release of these movies in India. Archbishop Fernandes said, “The Indian Christian Community takes strong exception to the release of these movies in a country, where every individual has a right to his religious beliefs and to enjoy the respect to them from the followers of other religions. This is all the more to be expected in a country that is secular. Both movies are based on falsehoods about Christian faith and life and will hurt the faith of individual Christians and bring Christian Communities into disrepute among people of other religions. Such movies which spread wrong notions about a religion, any religion, should not be screened in India or anywhere as they do not stand for the Truth,” Archbishop Fernandes said.