The Da Vinci Code & Opus Dei

In The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown writes a fictional story, but prefaces it with a statement that leads people to believe that the historical facts and belief systems in the book are true.

"Fact: (...) All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret
rituals in this novel are accurate."

Dan also portrays a Roman Catholic group, known as the Opus Dei, as a conspiratorial and murderous bunch of men would rather mutilate themselves rather than read a good book. Although none of this is true, one could excuse this conduct if the book was Dan's. (I have read the book to help debrief someone. The book has a slightly entertaining story, which will make for a sensational movie, but it is far from good literature. The book and the movie are patently formulaic attempts at easy wealth through the sales of a controversial story. Salman Rushdie has been quoted as saying that The Da Vinci Code is "so bad it makes bad books look good.")

I'm not Catholic. I haven't a clue about Opus Dei. I neither subscribe to, nor endorse their beliefs, but thankfully John Wauck, a a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature, is setting the record straight where his group is concerned.

Mr. Wauck has created a blog entitled, "The Da Vinci Code & Opus Dei," wherein he tells readers the truth about his organization. For example:

It must be said immediately, however, that the reality in Opus Dei is quite different from what one finds in The Da Vinci Code. In fact, I'm a little afraid that, should someone who's seen the movie happen upon a real cilice and discipline they'd just laugh -- like someone who shows up for a duel expecting to see a .44 Magnum only to face a water pistol instead.

In The Da Vinci Code, the cilice is a notched leather belt studded with metal barbs which cut the flesh and cause Silas to bleed profusely.

In reality, the cilice (pronounced "sillis") is a small metal chain with sharp points facing inward. No leather, no belt, no notches. Of course, it's uncomfortable (this is penance, after all), but it shouldn't cut the flesh or cause bleeding. The version used by members of Opus Dei is worn around the thigh, and the custom within Opus Dei is to wear it two hours a day -- except on Sundays, feast days, and certain times of the year.

If you have a friend or a relative who has read Dan's book and is confused about the truth of Christ and whether He sired a child out of wedlock with Mary Magdalene, then point them to John Wauck's site. If your friend or relative can see that Dan sensationalized and fictionalized the lives of Ous Dei priests, perhaps he or she will be intelligent enough to figure out that Dan made the reset of the stuff up as well.

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