From Reuters:

In the latest Vatican broadside against "The Da Vinci Code", a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded.

Well, I’m pretty sure that Christ himself never founded the Catholic Church (Peter, perhaps), but let’s set that aside and look at the legal aspects — on what legal theory will a lawsuit be brought?  The right not to be offended?

Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was considered a candidate for pope last year, made his strong comments in a documentary called "The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception."

A follow-up to his documentary: "Charlotte’s Web – A Big Bunch of Lies".  Don’t these people understand that The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction?

Arinze’s appeal came some 10 days after another Vatican cardinal called for a boycott of the film. Both cardinals asserted that other religions would never stand for offences against their beliefs and that Christians should get tough.

Maybe the Catholics should issue a fatwa against Dan Brown, the same thing the Ayatollah did against Salmon Rushdie.  Because that’s WWJD.

Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and to forget," Arinze said in the documentary made by Rome film maker Mario Biasetti for Rome Reports, a Catholic film agency specializing in religious affairs.

"Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others," Arinze said.

"This is one of the fundamental human rights: that we should be respected, our religious beliefs respected, and our founder Jesus Christ respected," he said, without elaborating on what legal means he had in mind.

Well, sadly, you can’t litigate people into respecting you. 

And respect, by the way, is a two-way street.  Nobody is asking you to respect Dan Brown, Cardinal.  Nobody is suing you to respect him either.

"Those who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult us. There are some other religions which if you insult their founder they will not be just talking. They will make it painfully clear to you," Arinze said.

I can’t speak for Dan Brown or other alleged "blasphemers", but I’m pretty sure that they don’t really give a tinker’s cuss whether or not Christians "forgive" them.  So how are they exploiting the "Christian readiness to forgive"?

Last month, another broadside against "The Da Vinci Code" was launched by Archbishop Angelo Amato, the number two official in the Vatican doctrinal office which was headed by Pope Benedict until his election last year.

Amato urged a boycott of the film and Arinze, like his fellow cardinal, also blasted the credibility of the book.

Blasting the credibility of a book that is a work of fiction?  Wow, how obtusely ballsy.

"’The Da Vinci Code’ presents (Christianity) wrongly … any film produced on the basis of that book is already in error from the word go, no matter how interesting it might appear," Arinze said.

Next up — King Arthur sues Monty Python for "The Holy Grail".