World Media Watch

Nun Upstages Da Vinci Code Star

DAILY MAIL, Aug. 16 — Sister Mary Michael led a 12-hour vigil at Lincoln Cathedral to protest the filming of The Da Vinci Code in the historic church, the London daily reported.

The nun led a handful of protesters in prayer on the steps of the cathedral. Parts of the building's interior will serve as a double for Westminster Abbey.

When Tom Hanks, the star of the controversial film, arrived at Lincoln Cathedral Aug. 14, he found himself somewhat upstaged. He, along with director Ron Howard and co-star Sir Ian McKellen, quickly disappeared inside the building.

Sister Mary Michael, 61, said afterwards, “I just don't think it's right that they are filming this story here. I know the bishop and dean argue it is fiction — and it might even be brilliant fiction — but it is against the very essence of what we believe.”

More Than 100,000 Pilgrims Visit Icon

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Aug. 16 — More than 100,000 people converged on an ancient monastery in the hills of northwest Romania to kiss an icon many believe has miraculous healing powers, the Associated Press reported.

Believers, many of whom walked to the monastery, began arriving Aug. 12 and slept in the open, while more than a dozen Orthodox priests and monks held services around the clock at the monastery some 280 miles northwest of Bucharest. More than 100,000 believers were present Aug. 15, according to police and organizers.

According to tradition, the icon of the Weeping Virgin, painted in 1691, wept for 26 days in 1699. The first recorded miracle occurred in 1701 when it is said to have cured an army officer's wife who was going blind.

Todor Soporan, a 68-year-old with severe rheumatism, went round the wooden church at the monastery on his knees. “I came for my troubles and health,” he told the Associated Press. “I have serious rheumatism and I want less pain so I can work for the rest of my life.”

Vietnamese Catholics Flock to Festival

THANH NIEN NEWS, Aug. 15 — More than 100,000 Catholics nationwide and representatives from Catholic communities in the US, Canada, and Southeast Asian countries journeyed to central Vietnam for the La Vang Catholic Festival, the Vietnamese news service reported.

The annual festival began Aug. 13 at La Vang Church in the Hai Lang district of the Quang Tri province.

The report said that municipal authorities in Quang Tri have coordinated with festival organizers to ensure the smooth procession of the festival as well as adequate transport, water, and electricity services for the pilgrimage.