While “Avatar” is drawing near unanimous praise worldwide, the Vatican is scathingly slamming James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic as “sentimental hokum.”

Following the Italo “Avatar” red carpet preem on Saturday in the Auditorium Conciliazione, a stone’s throw from St. Peters, official Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano gave it the thumbs down in a review which, among other things, faulted Cameron’s storytelling as “bland.”

“By concentrating on the creation of Pandora’s fantasy world he tells the story without any deeper exploration,” the Vatican paper said.

L’Osservatore also lamented that “there is plenty of stupefying, enchanting technology, but few genuine human emotions.”

Meanwhile Vatican Radio, which goes out worldwide, has been blasting “Avatar” for “winking at the pseudo-doctrines that have made ecology the religion of the millennium,” which may help explain all the animosity.

There’s more at the Variety link.