Catholic Church demands ban on film

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Catholic Church in India has
demanded a ban on the release of a film based on Dan Brown's
bestseller "Angels and Demons", alleging that it was an
attempt to malign the Christian faith.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the
apex body of Catholic Church in the country, also warned that
the film's "unqualified" release in the country can cause
"disquiet" within the community and it is "disturbed" at this.

"We ask for banning of the controversial film in India
where Christianity is still in the process of being understood
by large section of society," Stanislaus Fernandes, Secretary
General of CBCI, said in a letter to Censor Board Chairperson
Sharmila Tagore.

"To present the Holy Bible and its sacred messages in a
distorted manner is an insult to Christianity and its
followers, not only in India but also all over the world," he
said. The film will be released in the country on May 15.

Fernandes said the CBCI was "disturbed" as the film
"attempts to malign Christians and their faith through
deliberate distortion of facts".

"Angels and Demons" is a mystery-thriller which revolves
around the quest of fictional Harvard University symbologist
Robert Langdon to unravel the mysteries of a secret society
called the Illuminati and to prevent a plot from annihilating
Vatican City.

The book utilizes the historical conflict between science
and religion, particularly between the Illuminati and the
Roman Catholic Church.

It is the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code," another Brown
film adaptation.

Tom Hanks is in the lead role of Robert Langdon, while
Ron Howard is the director of the movie. PTI