'Angels and Demons' is refused access to two Rome churches!

Tom Hanks' new film, "Angels & Demons," currently shooting in Rome, has been forbidden to film inside two churches prominently featured in Dan Brown's best-selling prequel to "The Da Vinci Code."

The film is based on Brown's early thriller about an ancient secret brotherhood called the Illuminati, a papal conclave, with wild chases around Rome, code-cracking and the threatened destruction of the Vatican.

Requests from producers of "Angels & Demons," directed by Ron Howard, were turned down because the movie "does not conform to our views," said Msgr. Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Rome diocese. Permission was initially denied in 2007, but the issue has resurfaced because of filming now going on in Rome, according to the Associated Press.

The denial may not have been such a great idea. I mean, you just can't buy this kind of global PR. But, apparently, the Catholic church just doesn't cotton to the concept that Jesus was married and fathered children and that the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei is a maniacal bloodthirsty cult.

"This is a prequel to 'The Da Vinci Code' and it's clear that the theme is similar," Fibbi said. He added that the ban would not stop the crew from filming the exterior of the churches.

The denied churches are Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria, which house paintings by Caravaggio, sculptures by Bernini and a chapel designed by Raphael.

If you really want to see the treasures inside these churches, do what I did: take an "Angels & Demons" tour that whisks you around Rome via private car, to find/break the code. There are several tours available from various companies because "Angels & Demons" is now to Rome what "Lord of the Rings" is to New Zealand. I predict a boon for "A&D" tours after the film's release in May 2009.

But I can't guarantee you'll be granted entrance to the two churches with "A&D" tours. Even in 2006, there were grumblings about intrusive "A&D" groups packed into the intimate Santa Maria della Vittoria to view the breathtaking Ecstasy of St. Teresa statue. The locals who prayed daily in the church were rightfully horrified by all the heretics, er, tourists.

Check with the tour groups to make sure you can get in. St. Teresa is definitely a statue worth seeing up close, so go on your own if "A&D" tours aren't allowed in anymore.

Not on the "A&D" tour, but located on the Via Veneto, just steps from the "A&D" protagonist Robert Langdon's Bernini Bristol hotel, is a Capuchin crypt, a macabre memorial decorated with the intricately arranged bones of dead friars.

Clearly, these Capuchin monks had way too much time on their hands.

What do you think about the Rome diocese stopping "A&D" filming inside churches due to disapproval of the movie's content? Are they right, wrong or giving the movie great publicity?

Photos: Ayelet Zurer, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard shoot "Angels & Demons" in Rome, near the Pantheon, last week. (WireImage)

Comments

[Vijay]

I think it is good for the Catholic Church to deny access for filming Dan Brown's works. Whether you agree or not they teach a consistent doctrine which does not correspond to Mr. Brown's new religion of cut and paste from various sources. Besides it is also quite disingenuous of him and the film makers to opine that theirs is only a story when they go around encouraging idle speculation to take the place of religious debate. Good going for the Vatican! Perhaps Messrs Hubbard and Hanks should stick to making plaster of Paris casts for those magnificent sculptures.

[Kat]

I think the Church's refusal is in direct relation to its insecurities. I would like to think that this is a rich opportunity to raise questions about the faith. Anything that gets people talking about God is a good thing. Religious debate would open the door for people to question and for the Chruch to defend. Shutting people out is not what the Bible talks about. Because the film does not does not "conform" does not mean it is bad. I mean how many stories in the bible are about doubters who came to believe? Not letting the filming commence continues the christian societies' ignorence for generations to come.

[Vijay]

Kat, I do not have any problem with people debating and discussing logical, scientific, historical, theological, metaphysical or doctrinal questions in relation to Christianity. But I believe that in this case the Catholic Church was well within its rights and comfort zone to deny access to the film-makers. The Da Vinci Code does not address any theological issue, but rather encourages speculation. While that may be an excellent opportunity for the church to dispel myths and spread the truth about itself, the fact remains that the book and the movie were by and large inflammatory works of fiction which on numerous occasions were bandied about as authentic religious alternatives.

[rkinne01]

Typical of the Catholic chuch, anyone who asks legitimate questions are usually shut out. It makes one wonder what they have to hide.

[Chuck Paugh]

The fact that was omitted from this story is that the cathedrals in question are OWNED BY the Italian government who's EU membership required it to permit filming, but it violated it's own EU commitments in banning the filming due to objections from the Roman Catholic Church.

[Elizabeth Snead]

to Chuck:

That's a very interesting point . i hadn't heard anything about the EU connection.

I wonder why they did that?

any ideas?

Elizabeth

[Joey Tranchina]

The Catholic Church is open to anyone willing to put their absolute faith in preposterous nonsense. Why would anyone debate with the pretensions of an organization that has an exquisitely documented history of deceit & abuse, like the Catholic Church? The Catholic religion is composed of millions of wonderful people who use faith in God to inspire themselves to lead kind and generous lives but the Church organization is built of secrets, deceptions, arrogance, bigotry, hypocrisy and cruelty as it has been for 2000 years. This is not news to anyone who reads history.

[Toddwikk]

ITS ALL FICTION PEOPLE !!!!!!! Dan Brown made it clear that The Davinci Code was FICTION, he just added more realism to the script by using factual places. Wheather you believe or not its just a book. Personaly I think the church should let it happen , just to bring in more money to the city and bring more of an awareness to GOD. not that the Vatican needs any more money , but child molestation suits dont come cheap i guess.... I cant wait to see the movie myself, i loved The Davinci Code. Besides if they cant get into the two churches I am sure Hollywood can just make copies of them like they have done with so many other historical figures and places. i mean look at what james Camron did with the TITANIC ship..... PEACE !!!