June 30, 2006

Heads of the Coptic, Catholic and Episcopal Churches in Egypt met on May 30, 2006 at H.H. Pope Schenouda III Papal residence to discuss and register their position on the "Da Vinci Code" movie based on Dan Brown's novel. Another preceded this meeting with the Evangelical Church in Egypt, May 23, 2006.

Heads of Churches agreed that the movie is a falsification of history and archaeology and is based on incorrect scientific vanities that scientists were able to prove through documentation. The story of the film and sequence of events, they say, disdain religion and spiritual and moral values; it does not contain any of the creative measures of art but violence and viciousness.

Heads of churches rejected the materialistic and atheistic base of the film that ends with a Jewish logo propagandizing Jewish thought. The Statement is posted on the MECC website at: http://www.mec-churches.org/.

As a result of the Heads of Churches' position, the Egyptian Parliament decided to forbid the "Da Vinci Code" movie in Egypt.

Middle East Council of Churches