The Faith of Filipinos and The Da Vinci Code

A group of Catholic laity is trying to ban the showing of the The Da Vinci Code in local theaters. A best-seller transformed into a movie, the Code could mislead people about the doctrine of the Catholic faith, this group believes. That fear may have some basis, but trying to block the showing would be a panicky reaction - which is uncalled for.

It's true the movie could be purveying scenes and ideas offensive to Judaeo-Christian beliefs (e.g., that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, that the Church suppressed secret Gospels on the "truth" about Jesus' divinity), but putting a bar to its public viewing would be contrary to the Church's position on freedom of information. Unless the film is classified as pornographic, I'm certain the Church would not lift a finger to block its showing.

So let those interested have their day in movie houses. If they are true Catholics who really know about their faith they would come out spiritually unscathed, and perhaps even stronger in their faith. But if they are skin-deep believers who have not bothered to know the fundamentals of what they believe in, the experience may be shocking. Yet it will not be enough to make them abandon the faith of their forebears, after all, what they will have viewed is mere fiction, as its author confessed.

To the uninitiated, however, even fiction could do some damage to their worldview, and this is what the Catholic group probably fears. But why fear the loss of the half-believers and the lukewarm? By their indifference they have already been a loss to their Church. I will vomit you out of my mouth, says the Lord of uncommitted Christians.

There is no arguing about this: The Catholic Church is as strong, or even stronger, than the Rock of Gibraltar. For more than two thousand years, its enemies have assaulted it in all fronts, but it has prevailed. Right in the early years of Jesus' ministry its enemies led by no less than synagogue authorities were already flexing themselves to destroy it. Their target was its Founder and they had Him arrested, tortured and crucified believing this would put an end to the fledging faith. But Resurrection turned the tide around. It opened the eyes of early Christians to the truth of Jesus' divinity. It set hearts afire and the Light of life drove the dark away.

In later years, particularly from the 9th to the 15th centuries, the demolition job on the Church continued. Emperors and princess tried to gain control of Vatican. Institutions such as the Holy Roman Empire tried to destroy the papacy and the Babylonian captivity almost brought the Church to its knees. The Great Schism, the Protestant movement, and scores of other movements characterized by revivalism and attempts to minimize the sacraments and church authorities were all designed to discredit the Church.

The assault on the Church has been a continuing phenomenon in subsequent centuries especially with the rise of fascism in Europe and the emergence of Communism as a dominant ideology in the former USSR and other parts. Even at present Karl Marx's ideology is still on confrontational status with the Church in many countries, and this along with the rising currents of liberalism and materialism has diminished the spiritual role of the Church in the affairs of men.

Yet despite all these, the Church endures. It will endure because Jesus himself promised so. "You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church and never will the power of death shall overcome it".

I said earlier that some Catholics are apprehensive over the showing of The Da Vinci Code. If such apprehension is based on the possibility that some believers would junk their faith after seeing the film, they could be right. But if they believe that the Philippine Church would get a beating by it, they are wrong.

Filipinos have a strong sense of tradition and Catholicism is one such tradition. Arguments, verbal or visual, seldom make them change course on matters of their childhood faith. Even on the level of spirituality they have chosen within the same canopy of faith changing them is a difficult job. If films could change them such box office hits as the Ten Commandments, Jesus of Nazareth, the Song of Bernadette, and lately, The Passion could have turned many of them into halo-sporting men and women. Sure, they came out of the showing sober and pensive. In fact, some were observed to have shed tears on the Mel Gibson palabas. But after the leisure hours ended, where were the new Filipinos?

The Da Vinci Code can destroy the Filipinos' faith? Forget it. They are smarter than that.