Vatican vs. DaVinci Code

Popular author Dan Brown is not popular every where:

The Roman Catholic Church in Italy has spoken out against what it says are "shameful and unfounded lies" in the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Archbishop of Genoa, broke the church's official silence on the controversial book.

Its story about the Church suppressing the "truth" that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene has convinced many fans.

But the cardinal's spokesman denied reports that the clergyman was asked by the Vatican to hit back at the book.

Carlo Arcolao told the BBC's News website that it had been the cardinal's own decision to make a public statement about the book.

Mr Arcolao confirmed that the cardinal told an Italian newspaper: "It astonishes and worries me that so many people believe these lies."

It astonishes me that Brown wrote a solid thriller, but then blew the ending with one of the oldest cliches in any book -- the villain explaining his deeds when if he simply had kept his mouth shut, he would have achieved his goal. (I know, saucer of milk for Table 2.)