Singapore - The Da Vinci Code opened in predominantly Buddhist Singapore on Thursday despite attempts by Christian groups to ban the controversial movie.
Youngsters below 16 are not allowed to view the film, a thriller based on Dan Brown's book which poses the possibility that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and started a bloodline which still exists.
'Even though the book is available, we believe that the movie will cause even greater damage and should not be allowed,' Nicholas Chia, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the city-state, wrote to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts in unsuccessfully urging the movie be banned.
'Movies have mass appeal, are readily accessible and can easily polarise sections of the audience,' he said.
The National Council of Churches, which represents the Protestant community, also requested a ban on the film.
The Film Consultative Panel said the movie should be viewed as a fictional thriller and saw no reason to prohibit it.
In stopping those below 16, the censors said they were restricting viewing to a 'mature audience able to discern and differentiate between fact and fiction.'
As part of a drive to remove the 'nanny state' image, Singapore has been allowing more movies with mature themes.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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