Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, offered remarks to a group of students, young adults and the media at a presentation today at the Archdiocesan Office Center in Philadelphia on the truth about The Da Vinci Code. The Cardinal was joined by Father Gregory Fairbanks, a Professor of Church History at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary who demonstrated how Catholic teaching differs from the fiction of the novel and film. Streaming video of the presentation on The Da Vinci Code will be available at www.archdiocese-phl.org.

The audience of students from John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School and Roman Catholic High School for Boys and young adults listened as Cardinal Rigali said, "I encourage everyone who is curious about the stories spun by The Da Vinci Code to attend an educational forum at a parish or school and to visit a web site specifically created to address this novel by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at www.jesusdecoded.com."

The Cardinal also said, "Take advantage of the wealth of information available and see how easy it is to find the truth and deepen your faith. That is why I am having this session. I want to be clear that the Catholic Church views this as a teaching moment and is going to great lengths to provide the truth based upon divine revelation and centuries of biblical scholarship about our Savior, Jesus Christ."

Father Fairbanks said, "What Dan Brown is doing in the text is taking parts that he wants and excluding the parts the he doesn't like. And he's blending them together (creating) a new story in a work of fiction…. This is a wonderful opportunity for us that people are asking questions about their faith."

Editor's Note: Other resources are also available on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia web site.

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