Vatican Repels Angels & Demons

The Tom Hanks film Angels & Demons, directed by Ron Howard, began filming on 5^th June 2008, and had requested permits from Rome authorities in 2007 to shoot scenes in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo and the Santa Maria della Vittoria.  Permission was required from both the Italian government and the Vatican but, while the government gave the film its blessing, the Vatican refused.

Father Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Rome diocese, said,  ‘We often provide our churches to productions whose purposes are compatible with religious sentiment… But not when the film pursues a type of fantasy that damages common religious sentiment, as in the case of The Da Vinci Code. [ADD]

Further Reading:

2008

Italy: 2008