Opus Dei won’t boycott ‘Code’

The conservative Roman Catholic group Opus Dei said Tuesday that it had no intention of calling for a boycott of the upcoming film “The Da Vinci Code,” but said it hopes the much-awaited film could still be changed so that “there aren’t references that would hurt Catholics.”

In a statement released in Rome, Opus Dei said Sony Pictures still had time to make changes that would be appreciated by Catholics, “particularly in these days in which everyone has noted the painful consequences of intolerance” -- an apparent reference to violence in the Muslim world sparked by the publication of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad.

The film, starring Tom Hanks and scheduled for a May 19 release, is based on the bestselling Dan Brown novel, which portrayed Opus Dei as a murderous, power-hungry sect.

Sony reiterated its view that “The Da Vinci Code” is a work of fiction.

The work is “not a religious tract, and it is certainly not meant to criticize any group, religious or otherwise,” said Jim Kennedy, a spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment.