In his weekly e-bulletin, Karl Keeting of Catholic Answers writes that acclaimed author Umberto Eco, who abandoned the Faith a long time ago, nonetheless has not abandoned common sense: Recently, the novelist commented that

We are supposed to live in a skeptical age. In fact, we live in an age of outrageous credulity. The ‘death of God,’ or at least the dying of the Christian God, has been accompanied by the birth of a plethora of new idols. They have multiplied like bacteria on the corpse of the Christian Church–from strange pagan cults and sects to the silly, sub-Christian superstitions of The Da Vinci Code.

He continues,

It is amazing how many people take that book literally and think it is true. Admittedly, Dan Brown, its author, has created a legion of zealous followers who believe that Jesus wasn’t crucified: He married Mary Magdalene, became the King of France, and started his own version of the order of Freemasons. Many of the people who now go to the Louvre are there only to look at the Mona Lisa, solely and simply because it is at the center of Dan Brown’s book.

Anyone who goes to any bookstore nowadays is attacked by display stands filled with all things Da Vinci: the novel, offshoots, ‘texts’ of Gnostic ’secrets,’ uncovered ‘conspiracies’ of the Catholic Church, board games, puzzles, videos, etc. Keating points out, to be fair, that the displays usual have a few anti-Da Vinci Code books, although these are by far the minority.

I did not read the book, only excerpts and plot summaries that confirmed that the book is sacriligeous… not to mention an utter waste of time. I could think of a dozen better uses of my time… things that are more productive, intellectually/academically or spiritually rewarding, or just plain relaxing and fun. Even tiptoing in the grass is preferable — At least that reminds me of the beauty of the world… and serves to combat the gnostic heresy that this world is corrupt, evil and a veil of falsehood thrown before our eyes.

If there exists any veil of falsehood that obscures our collective moral vision and, thus, serves the Prince of Lies, it is books like The Da Vinci Code.