Catholic authorities in Rome are outraged by a decision to display a huge advert for the forthcoming film The Da Vinci Code on the facade of a church in the city's centre.
The new ad, one of many popping up around Rome, is attached to scaffolding erected in order to complete restoration work on the church of San Pantaleo, near the main thoroughfare of Corso Vittorio Emmanuele.
The restoration work is being paid for by the Italian interior ministry, which presumably came to an agreement with the film's promoters on the advert.
Clearly unhappy, parish priest Father Adolfo Garcia Duran was tightlipped about the situation on Monday, saying only: "We've asked for it to be removed. We're waiting." But Monsignor Marco Frisina, a top official at the headquarters of the Rome diocese, or 'vicariato', had no trouble expressing his horror at the turn of events.
"The Da Vinci Code is a clever piece of commercial exploitation. Fine. But sticking a huge advert on the facade of a church is a blatant provocation," he said. "In front of a church in the historical centre! They'll soon be putting them on the front of the vicariato".
The Dan Brown bestseller which spawned the film has been lambasted in Catholic circles because of its largely negative portrayal of the Vatican and the conservative Catholic Opus Dei movement.
It depicts the Catholic Church as a corrupt organisation determined to hide certain explosive truths and contains the notion that Jesus Christ married and had descendants. A key character is a crazed albino monk who commits a murder. The film, due to be released worldwide next month, is expected to rake in millions of dollars for its makers.
"We ask that at least places of worship be respected and that the choice of the publicity be agreed with the parish priest," Msgr Frisina said.
