Why we must understand popular culture

The Da Vinci Code movie is likely to attract praise, indifference and condemnations from many diverse quarters.

The film, which will be released worldwide this month, is based on Dan Brown’s novel by the same title. Because of its controversy, many people, including some Catholics, will flock to the cinemas to “see for themselves”.

The movie, which paints the Church as a corrupt, deceptive and shadowy institution, disputes the main tenets of the Christian faith: scripture and tradition.

But my focus is not on the content of the movie. Pop culture—film, television, music, print media, literature technology, and so on—challenges us to reflect, question and debate our Catholic beliefs. We can almost see what would have happened to The Da Vinci Code had it touched the Islamic religion. Certainly, the movie insults our dignity and beliefs.

But how do we react to such media? Some will boycott the film. Some will protest. Those with curiosity and possibly doubting Thomases will watch it. Whether we watch or not is not the question. If we don’t, our neighbours will tell us about it. Some people will interpret fiction as truth. Many others will be confused. The Church can no longer “burn witches”.

The solution, I propose, is in mass communication literacy. This generation alone has seen the emergence of new mass media that it is difficult to cope with.

One of our primary obligations is to evangelise the world. Fortunately we can’t tell the Good News by threatening people with brimstone and fire. This means instead of condemning such productions, we need to get into dialogue with creators of The Da Vinci Code.

Any fiction is inspired by some experience or background. Remember how our spiritual leaders were divided over Mel Gibson’s The Passion Of The Christ. To my knowledge the Church never offered a universal interpretation of the movie. What was most encouraging was that most people were given an opportunity to express their gut feelings.

I remember reading how three bishops in South Africa—Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale and Bishop Michael Coleman—contributed to the debate by giving their well-considered personal opinions. No one was barred or encouraged to see Gibson’s movie.

Priests and bishops, and some laity versed in theology, manage to critique forms of pop culture. But the rest of the People of God have no tools of negotiating with the authors of such controversial productions. Our catechetical and pastoral programmes in many cases exclude the mass media.

While today’s catechesis is much better than the cram approach of the penny catechism before Vatican II, many catechising projects are based on the individual reflection by the participant. Some of these paedagogies do not encourage people to be critical and prophetic. It may be too late to warn people about the Da Vinci Code. But I am hopeful we have enough time to start discussing in our parishes and organisations the Christian way of approaching mass media.

During my seminary days, students were prohibited from watching certain movies. Some seminaries have restrictions on the use of the Internet. The reasons for these may be noble, but it disadvantages future priests who are supposed to journey with their fellow Christians on these troubling and controversial issues.

The Church cannot afford to legislate what is supposed to be decided by individual conscience.

We have instruments, which we sometimes ignore, that can help to inform and challenge Christians in our world. Trefoil. The Southern Cross. UmAfrika. Radio Veritas. Catholic bookshops and repositories. Parish bulletins. Metanoia Ministries.

Catholic media can help us understand pop culture and secular media.