Vatican bans "Angels & Demons" production

From the Associated Press: "Rome's diocese said Monday it has barred the producers of "Angels & Demons" from filming in two churches for the prequel to the "The Da Vinci Code," the popular book and film that angered many Catholic leaders." Read the full story here.

This news doesn't surprise me at all. While the book of Angels & Demons doesn't necessarily paint as poor a picture of the Catholic Church that The Da Vinci Code does, it does address several of the themes that made Da Vinci so controversial, such as the Church's ultra-secretive ways. Without spoiling the story to those of you who haven't read Angels & Demons, the plot does surround some mysterious murders that may or may not have been orchestrated by people high up in the Church's leadership.

This sentiment by the Catholic Church isn't new to this franchise. When filming 2006's The Da Vinci Code, producers were denied access to the interior of the Church of Saint Sulpice in Paris (the church that supposedly contains the fabled "Rose Line"). As an alternative, producers filmed those scenes in a computer-generated virtual set. Producers of Angels & Demons have made no formal comments about the current ban, but will undoubtedly move forward with filming at another location, virtual or otherwise.

Dan Brown's novels have been a double-edged sword to the Church and to several other famous European destinations, such as the Louvre. While Brown's theories have been widely discredited, swarms of fans, anxious to walk in Robert Langdon's fictional footsteps, continue to visit these locations each year. Case in point: when in Paris with friends in 2006, Wendy and I visited Saint Sulpice (as seen above) with no other intention than to view the fabled "Rose Line." If it hadn't been for the book/movie, we would have never seen this magnificent church.

And how does Saint Sulpice greet its Da Vinci Code guests? With a prominently-placed flyer, disputing many of the book's blasphemous claims.