Howard vs. Vatican, Part Deux

Famed director Ron Howard is calling out the Vatican, accusing them of disrupting the filming of Angels and Demons in Rome. According to thehuffingtonpost.com, the church prevented the director from getting a few permits that would allow filming access to certain places.

The Vatican fervently denies the claim, but has made it clear that they do not plan to endorse the movie. Last summer, Rome's diocese admitted that it barred the filming of several churches because the film conflicted with their views.

In a press conference Sunday, Howard said that he did not ask the Vatican for cooperation, as he met a lot of opposition from it while filming The Da Vinci Code, which angered many Catholics.

Howard believes that the church exerted their influence in regards to the permits, so much so that he was told it was impossible for him to shoot scenes in Rome with churches as backgrounds.

"When you come to film in Rome, the official statement to you is that the Vatican has no influence," Howard said. "Was I surprised? No. Am I a little frustrated at times? Sure."

Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, refused to talk about the Vatican's supposed involvement, but said that the allegations are another way to drum up publicity. But the charges seem believable, especially when the incidents surrounding 2006's The Da Vinci Code come into play.

Several church leaders world wide called for the boycott of the film, as it called into question whether or not Jesus married and had children.