Manila Bans, India Clears 'Da Vinci Code'

HONG KONG - China's official Catholic Church urged its followers to boycott "The Da Vinci Code" on Thursday, and the City Council in the Philippine capital banned the movie as viewers across Asia got a first glimpse of the film that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child. The Indian censor board cleared the movie without any cuts, but required a disclaimer and insisted that it be shown to adults only. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters in Seoul,
South Korea, marched outside theaters with signs that said "`The Da Vinci Code' is nothing more than fiction." The Columbia Pictures release, based on the best-selling Dan Brown novel, wasn't expected to generate a wide backlash in Asia, where Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are the dominant faiths. [More]