Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | July 13, 2005 | LifeSiteNews.com

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Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online

RIMSTING, Germany, July 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com has obtained and made available online copies of two letters sent by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was recently elected Pope, to a German critic of the Harry Potter novels. In March 2003, a month after the English press throughout the world falsely proclaimed that Pope John Paul II approved of Harry Potter, the man who was to become his successor sent a letter to a Gabriele Kuby outlining his agreement with her opposition to J.K. Rowling's offerings. (See below for links to scanned copies of the letters signed by Cardinal Ratzinger.)

As the sixth issue of Rowling's Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - is about to be released, the news that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed serious reservations about the novels is now finally being revealed to the English-speaking world still under the impression the Vatican approves the Potter novels.

In a letter dated March 7, 2003 Cardinal Ratzinger thanked Kuby for her "instructive" book Harry Potter - gut oder böse (Harry Potter- good or evil?), in which Kuby says the Potter books corrupt the hearts of the young, preventing them from developing a properly ordered sense of good and evil, thus harming their relationship with God while that relationship is still in its infancy.

"It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly," wrote Cardinal Ratzinger.

The letter also encouraged Kuby to send her book on Potter to the Vatican prelate who quipped about Potter during a press briefing which led to the false press about the Vatican support of Potter. At a Vatican press conference to present a study document on the New Age in April 2003, one of the presenters - Fr. Peter Fleedwood - made a positive comment on the Harry Potter books in response to a question from a reporter. Headlines such as "Pope Approves Potter" (Toronto Star), "Pope Sticks Up for Potter Books" (BBC), "Harry Potter Is Ok With The Pontiff" (Chicago Sun Times) and "Vatican: Harry Potter's OK with us" (CNN Asia) littered the mainstream media.

In a second letter sent to Kuby on May 27, 2003, Cardinal Ratzinger "gladly" gave his permission to Kuby to make public "my judgement about Harry Potter."

The most prominent Potter critic in North America, Catholic novelist and painter Michael O'Brien commented to LifeSiteNews.com on the "judgement" of now-Pope Benedict saying, "This discernment on the part of Benedict XVI reveals the Holy Father's depth and wide ranging gifts of spiritual discernment." O'Brien, author of a book dealing with fantasy literature for children added, "it is consistent with many of the statements he's been making since his election to the Chair of Peter, indeed for the past 20 years - a probing accurate read of the massing spiritual warfare that is moving to a new level of struggle in western civilization. He is a man in whom a prodigious intellect is integrated with great spiritual gifts. He is the father of the universal church and we would do well to listen to him."

English translations of the two letters by Cardinal Ratzinger follow:

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Vatican City March 7, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby!

Many thanks for your kind letter of February 20th and the informative book which you sent me in the same mail. It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.

I would like to suggest that you write to Mr. Peter Fleedwood, (Pontifical Council of Culture, Piazza S. Calisto 16, I00153 Rome) directly and to send him your book.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

=======================

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Vatican City May 27, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby,

Somehow your letter got buried in the large pile of name-day , birthday and Easter mail. Finally this pile is taken care of, so that I can gladly allow you to refer to my judgment about Harry Potter.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Links to the scanned copies of the two signed letters by Cardinal Ratzinger (in German) - In PDF format: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerletter.pdf http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerpermission.pdf

jhw

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The author did not have the occult in mind when she wrote the books.

You have no way of knowing that. And the many occultic references in HP belie that false assumption. But, like anything else, you have to have a knowledge base to understand the references.

It's had seven years to do it's thing, so where are the Harry Potter influenced cults and teenage pagans?

Surely you have a larger sense of history than that.

May I call you Shirley?

[Corin Stormhands]

Then you're obviously not reading very much.

Oh, I was reading plenty today. Just all work related.

[Corin Stormhands]

But, like anything else, you have to have a knowledge base to understand the references.

Or the Internet.

And, FWIW, Jen as an excellent grasp on history. Pop culture is another story. But she knows her history.

And she knows her literature.

[JenB]

I know one thing, and that's that fads burn out, quickly. They come to the forefront, have their day in the sun, leave some mark, and vanish. Harry Potter's lasted longer than some fads because there's a new book every few years. But it's not the sort of thing that causes slow, long-lasting effects. If we haven't seen it by now, I doubt it's going to happen.

And if I can't know what the author thought when writing, how can you? You don't seem to have actually read the books, or read any interviews with her.

[JenB]

Giving me a hard time because I don't know who Marilyn Monroe was? ;-)

Thanks for the backup though... hmm, ok, here's a site that talks about Rowling's Christian faith and says she attends church... hmmm....

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I've read the first two books.

Occultism is not a fad.

More's the pity.

[Oztrich Boy]

Where do they find you people?

Schenectady (pace Harlan Ellison)

[JenB]

Then why do you link sites that present distortions of what the books already say? I've checked, I'm having trouble finding the quote from Rowling that says if we understood her to be writing from a Christian viewpoint we'd understand what's going to happen. But I can confirm that she is a Christian, she does attend church. And here's a quote from one of her CNN interview: "I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch.' They see it for what it is. It is a fantasy world and they understand that completely. I don't believe in magic, either."

Which probably won't convince you. But maybe if someone's lurking on this thread it'll do some good.

[PetroniusMaximus]

***Occultism is not a fad. ***

Here's the deal. Childhood exposure to occultism, even if it's "pretend" occultism, causes a person to be much more open to exploring the real thing when they are exposed to it in their late teens or in college.

Especially if "Christianiy" has left a noticable spiritual deficit in their lives.

[JenB]

If they're churched kids, it's the family's and church's job to see they're educated against such nonsense. If they aren't churched, they're exposed to a lot more than Harry Potter, and burning harmless books - as opposed to harmful ones, which do exist - just means they aren't going to listen to us.

[PetroniusMaximus]

*** it's the family's and church's job to see they're educated against such nonsense***

"Such nonsense" being Harry Potter - I assume!

:)

[P-Marlowe]

HP are not Christian books. They are, however, flavored with bits of Hinduism, Buddhism, Platonism and ritualistic occultism.

IOW they are just like every other secular Children's book that is written these days.

Has anyone written a really good -- (I'm talking about genuine "literature" here)-- a really good Children's series from a Christian world view since CS Lewis?

[Oztrich Boy]

To trust in themselves and their own powers, as opposed to trusting in higher authority (for example, Almighty God).

The supreme moral moment in Huckleberry Finn is when Huck declares "Well then, I'll go to Hell" rather than turning Jim over to the slave-catchers.

As Mike Barrier said in his tribute to Disney writer Carl Bancks

When I was a child, I was in awe of Huey Dewey, and Louie, and wanted to be like them - not because they warred with their "father" and got away with it, but because they were in fact more adult than the adults in their world. Adulthood wasn't something to be scorned or regretted, it was to be achieved, and the idea was to be better at it that the adults around you

There was about a century of children's literature after 1860 which recognises that moral behaviour wasn't just following authority, but making moral choices and being prepared to act on them, even if the bad morality you were defying was set by "adults".

Rowling has rediscovered that, and surprise, kids are prepared to read about that, instead of "realistic" books about racism or gay tolerance which ape the current adult orthodoxy.

[BulldogCatholic]

Hey the Pope is against Harry Potter-what a guy. But in the spirit of Vatican II and ecumenism the best he can do is kiss up to the Moslems who bombed London and invoke Gods name. St Pope Pius V where are you when we need you? We had the "Rock star Pope" and now the "Harry Potter Pope", He has no guts. What about the Papal Oath? Please Pope protect us from Harry Potter!!!!!!!!!

[Oztrich Boy]

Harry finds he's half royalty by blood.

Arrgh!!!! Spoiler!!! Spoiler!!! Thou art truely vile to post that























Kidding. Rowling has said he's not Harry.

And shouldn't the frelling title Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince give you a clue?

[Selkie]

Excellent comments. My thoughts exactly.

[Selkie]

Tolkien said as much and was a devout Catholic who had a close friendship with the great theologian, C.S. Lewis>>>>

Tolkien is the one who caused C.S. Lewis to become a Christian in first place.

Lewis was a confirmed atheist for a long time.

I dont know of anyone who read or saw Lord of The Rings trilogy who became Christian as a result nor do I know anyone who has seen or read the Potter books and become an occultist.

It's entertainment.

I read the children's book "A Little Witch" when I was growing up. And saw Disney's "Fantasia".

And I was forced to read the New York Sunday Times growing up.

And neither one made become a Sorceress nor a Raging Leftie Libtard.

[Accygirl]

I feel awfully sorry for all those people out there who get their panties all bent out of shape about a series of children's books. And for their children. What do they get to do for fun? Meditate on their sins...

[GipperGal]

I agree with Big Ben on this one. Not because I care about your kids becoming evil (for all they're already evil), but because they're such stupid f***ing books!

And for their children. What do they get to do for fun? Meditate on their sins...

Gee, I dunno know. Maybe you could tell the little hyper nose-picking tv-addled morons to read some real literature.

[GipperGal]

Oh dear Lord, the horror! The horror! Now the little kiddies might have to go back to reading Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland! Noooo!

But seriously, I'm grateful B16 slammed these books -- if for no other reason than he is once again demonstrating that he is a man of refined artistic taste. A lover of Mozart and Bach. An admirer of Hermann Hesse (his favorite novel is "Steppenwolf"). Call me an aesthetic snob if you must, but these Harry Pothead books are junk.