Da Vinci Code Lies about Catholic Women

For those familiar with the history and tradition of the Catholic Church, The Da Vinci Code might provide more cause for laughter at the absurd instead of suspense. Author Dan Brown sounds as if he’s accusing the Catholic Church (and perhaps all Christian Churches) of not recognizing women, particularly in their role as mothers.



It used to be that the Catholic Church was faulted for talking too much about women as mothers and their life-producing capabilities. Brown now suggests the contrary. Had he done a serious historical analysis, Brown would have found just how groundbreaking the Catholic Church has been in its regard for women.

In Catholic parlance, the Church is the Bride of Christ, by no means a demeaning role. The Church eschewed mere cultural traditions and focused on the essential nature of women, starting with the fact that women are of equal dignity with men. Women and men were subject to the same initiation rite, baptism, in order to become Christians.

In a move that completely broke from ancient Roman law and tradition, Christianity understood that women were the bearers of rights (or decision-making abilities) apart from their husbands and fathers. A long list of women martyrs, extolled by the Church for making their own decisions, witnesses this fact.

The Catholic Church, Brown's “subjugator” of women, was also the first organized body to promote the education of women and to acknowledge that the decision of a woman not to marry was in fact a valid choice. Prior to this, women's education was not endorsed or promoted by any government, religion, or large-scale institution.

Certainly, there were educated women; but they were educated because of private — not public — efforts. Similarly, most cultures had no place for an adult woman who chose not to marry. Even the so-called vestal virgins of the pagan religions were given recognition for their sexual relations with men of generally higher status, like a pagan priest.

It has also been speculated that in the United States the women with the largest roles of public leadership and power in the early twentieth century were Catholic women. They not only headed religious communities, but schools, hospitals, and various other institutions. As religious vocations fell victim to secularism, it would take the feminist upheaval of the late 1960s and '70s before women would assume such leadership positions again. Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, we still remark on the achievement of a woman who heads a university or other large institution even though her religious counterpart of a century ago already had such “power.”

For two millennia, Catholic art has celebrated the womanliness of Mary the Mother of Jesus. In fact, during the Protestant Reformation, the artistic depiction of such buxom womanliness was generally considered indecent and a bit excessive by the Reformers.

Catholic cathedrals and churches have not shied from display prominent statues of strong women. In Sicily, for example, the entrance to Palermo's twelfth-century cathedral is “guarded,” if you will, by four women saints memorialized in large statues, two on each side of the entrance gate. There are no men represented with them.

More recently, John Paul II continually referred to the irreplaceable ability of women to bring forth new life — again, a tradition long held by the Catholic Church he headed.

Even Brown's thesis that Mary Magdalene was a sort of ancient feminist hero, married to Jesus and mother of His offspring, ignores the substantial Catholic tradition that celebrates Magdalene's intelligence, her ability to love, and her role as the “apostle to the Apostles” when she brings them the news of Jesus' Resurrection. Her role is independent of the men in her life. This history, by the way, is confirmed by Church art.

At the conclusion of Brown's tale, after their initial harrowing few days together, Langdon invites Sophie to join him for a getaway in Florence where he'll be participating in a conference. He explains, “We'd be living in luxury. They're giving me a room at the Brunelleschi.”

Of course, he loves her for her mind.

Dr. Pia de Solenni is a Church theologian whose work on women was recognized by John Paul II. She is a spokesperson for www.DaVinciOutreach.com .

This article originally appeared in the The Evening News (Canada) and is used by permission.

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Dr. Pia de Solenni is a moral theologian. She serves as Chancellor of the Diocese of Orange and Theological Advisor to the Bishop. Any opinions expressed here are her own.

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