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I love to read. It’s one of the real pleasures in my life. Although I especially love biographies, I also read historical fictions, thrillers and science fiction, because it’s so easy to get caught up in intrigues of plot and characters. Whether it’s le Carré, Clancy, Christy, Shaara, or Bradbury, fiction lets me pretend that what isn’t, is. But it’s pretend only. Even when some writers and publishers “wink” and imply that something really happened (just think about the publicity for The Hunt for Red October when it was first published), we know the truth. We know we’re being entertained, and we accept the canard for the purpose of entertainment. That’s why comments and reviews I have been hearing and reading about a new book called The DaVinci Code trouble me. Not only because one of its basic themes is that Jesus was married – and to Mary Magdalene – but also because of the premise for the “thriller” element in this book. According to the author, secret societies have been keeping this and other “facts,” e.g., about the “mother goddess,” hidden for almost two centuries in order to support a nefarious agenda. The only things missing from the book are the invaders from space and Lee Harvey Oswald and the “second gunman.” Maybe the author is saving them for the sequel. If the author had come out and said, “This is a work of fiction; I made all of this up,” it would be one thing. However, he and the marketers of the book are linking its “truth” to speculative research on ancient texts that scholars for centuries have considered inaccurate and misrepresentative of the Church and what we believe. It’s always enticing to hear about “hidden treasures” or “unearthed accounts” of the past. The idea of the occult or the mysterious always has an appeal – just look at the popularity of the Indiana Jones movies. And some works of fiction, such as those by Morris West, have blended effectively the good that we believe and the evil that we may fear. In many ways, such fictions reaffirm us, because they show how people like ourselves can face and ultimately overcome the demons that seek to lead us away from our faith and trust in God. While the false assertions masquerading as reality in The DaVinci Code have troubled me for some weeks now, I think they came into very sharp focus this past week when I visited with the boys and girls of Visitation School in Jersey City. I asked them questions about themselves, and they asked me questions about me. Together, we also spent time talking about some of the things they have been learning about their faith. That opportunity to talk with these excited and interested children crystallized, in a most personal way, the central mission of our Catholic schools – to provide quality education based in Catholic teaching and tradition. With such a start, they are in a great position to choose between right and wrong, fact and fiction, as they grow up in our faith and in life. If you want to read The DaVinci Code, please remember that it’s only fiction, and fiction “with a spin.” If you’re looking for truth about our faith, may I suggest The Holy Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Confessions of St. Augustine, The Nicene Creed….
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