Putting the squeeze on Da Vinci lemon

By MARIA OLAGUERA
Special to The B.C. Catholic

What does Dan Brown have in common with lemon trees in Cyprus?

According to a recent ABC news online report, lemon trees in a village in Cyprus have stunned their owners by suddenly bearing fruit almost as large as footballs.

According to Father Joseph Soria, Dan Brown has produced "the biggest lemon" in literary history: his bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code.

"Dan Brown has made more money with one single book than has any other writer. He has done this without being an expert in history, art, theology, or cryptography," Father Soria remarked. He added that, judging from the novel’s lack of literary merit and his previous novels’ mediocre success, Brown doesn’t seem to be that great a writer either, despite his erstwhile career as an English teacher.

How then did The Da Vinci Code become such a big hit?

"The book combines elements attractive to a broad spectrum of readers," Father Soria explained to an audience of more than 100 people in the hall of Immaculate Conception Parish in Vancouver.

"It contains suspense, secrets, a puzzle, a hint of romance, and a conspiracy theory, with the Catholic Church as the bad guys, particularly the hierarchy, consistently referred to by Dan Brown as the Vatican, even when talking about periods when the Vatican did not yet exist."

He also observed that most people are susceptible to the written word: "If it’s in print, then it must be true."

This was the third talk given by Father Soria in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Previous ones were held at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and at St. Anthony’s Parish in West Vancouver.

In his talk, Father Soria explained the book’s main errors regarding the Christian faith, the Church, and her institutions.

For example, there is the novel’s preoccupation with radical feminist notions of the "sacred feminine." As Carl E. Olson and Sandra Meisel explain in their book, The Da Vinci Hoax, "The major theme of Brown’s novel is the call to a recovery of the ‘sacred feminine’ and a revitalized worship of a goddess or goddesses."

Father Soria pointed out that for all his dedication to the sacred feminine, Brown makes no reference to Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. Instead, he chose Mary Magdalene as the embodiment of the sacred feminine principle. However, he preferred to portray her as the spouse of Jesus Christ and the mother of their child, envied and persecuted by the apostles and defamed by the Church as a prostitute, rather than as the holy woman who in fact is revered by both Eastern and Western Churches, and whose feastday Christians have celebrated since the eighth century.

Then there are Brown’s errors about the divinity of Christ. The main error in this area, said Father Soria, is denying that Jesus, true man, is also true God. To prove this theory, Brown relies heavily on the Gnostic gospels, which were written at least 200 years after the resurrection of Jesus and which have been rejected as false by all Christian communities throughout the ages.

Compare that, said Father Soria, to the true Gospels written by Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all of which have much earlier origins and share a coherence and purity of teaching not to be found in other, later gospels.

Another problem with Brown’s use of the Gnostic gospels, said Father Soria, is that they do not even support the novel’s assertion that Jesus was only a man, except through selective and out-of-context quotes. The Gnostic idea of Jesus as a Spirit Who only looked like a man completely contradicts the mortal Jesus of Brown’s novel.

Father Soria concluded with some clarifications about Opus Dei, which is also misrepresented in the novel by the character of a murderous albino monk.

With a touch of humour, Father Soria stressed that there are no monks or nuns, albino or otherwise, in Opus Dei. "There are about two thousand of us priests in Opus Dei. The rest of the members are lay men and women, both married and single." He emphasized Opus Dei’s fundamentally lay character, and its mission to help people turn their work, relationships, and daily activities into opportunities to grow closer to God, to serve others, and to improve society.

Opus Dei’s activities in Vancouver were described in more detail during the panel discussion that followed Father Soria’s talk. There are Catholic doctrine classes, monthly recollections, and annual retreats for high school and university students, single professionals, and married people. In addition to the spiritual activities there are also clubs, leadership programs, and camps for young people, as well as family activities that are open to all.

"You don’t have to be a member to participate in the activities and the means of formation," said panelist Kim Thorpe, a lawyer and mother of six children. "Opus Dei provides education and guidance for everyone. However, the call to become a member of Opus Dei, or in other words to become one of the faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei, is a true vocation. It is one of the many paths within the Church for which God seeks a person out."

The three panelists, all supernumerary (married) members of Opus Dei, also discussed the positive effects of the formation they have received from Opus Dei on themselves, their relationships, and their work.

"I was stirred by the idea that all of the insignificant little things that make up each day can be transformed into things of great transcendent value if undertaken with a motivation born of love. When we look for God in all of our ordinary daily circumstances, we can change the prose of each day into beautiful poetry and turn our whole day into prayer," said Thorpe.

Peter Nation, a teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, said that Opus Dei "has inspired me to be the best husband, father, and teacher I can be."

Barbara Stuart, a retired human resources director, said, "I’ve realized I can work with the raw material I have at hand: myself, my family, my profession, and turn all these into something that I can offer to God and that will bring me closer to Him. I wish I had met Opus Dei a long time ago."

Questions from the audience centred on The Da Vinci Code and how to respond to it effectively and appropriately.

"What else can we do besides pray, pray, pray?" asked one man.

Father Soria reminded the audience, "To pray is not something accidental. Rather, it is the core of what we can do." He agreed with a comment from another member of the audience that we should pray for Dan Brown.

"In addition, we need to learn more about our faith so that we can give the truth to other people. Finally, let’s avoid being pessimistic or apocalyptical. The Holy Spirit uses times like this to renew the face of the earth. It’s like plastic surgery. It hurts a lot, but what a beautiful result you get in the end."

The same talk will be given at various other parishes starting in June. Dates and venues will be advertised.

More information about Opus Dei in Canada is available at www.opusdei.ca.