A screenshot taken from www.jesusdecoded.com

PETALING JAYA: Jesus De-Coded a documentary that brings authentic Catholic teachings of Jesus Christ will be available to NBC-TV stations for broadcast in the third week of May 2006, to coincide with the screening of the movie version of the bestseller Da Vinci Code.

The first time airing of the hour-long feature will highlight clear and accurate information about the person of Jesus, The Herald, a local Catholic weekly reported in its March 19, 2006, issue.

The release of the documentary is timed to counter and rebut the speculations and inaccuracies about Christ and the origin of Christianity as depicted in the upcoming movie.

Jesus De-Coded shot on location in Israel, Turkey and Italy for the US Bishop's Catholic Communication Campaign by New Group Media is a strong response to the believers and proponents of the Da Vinci Code, a book by Dan Brown which combines fact and fiction and casts aspersions on the authentic nature and personhood of Jesus Christ.

The movie focuses on the first three centuries of the development of the church and carries interviews with international scholars well-versed in Scripture, art and history to separate Catholic truth from popular fiction.

The documentary will also be available for purchase on DVD and further details are available at www.jesusdecoded.com

The Catholic Communications Campaign is an activity of the United States Catholic Bishop's Conference that develops media programming, public service announcements and resources to promote Gospel values.