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Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online
LifeSiteNews.com ^ | July 13, 2005 | LifeSiteNews.com

Posted on 07/13/2005 12:49:13 AM PDT by dsc

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


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: cardinalratzinger; harrypotter; jpii; magic; pope; ratzinger
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To: Modernman
We were an experiment, but he clearly has no more interest in us at this point.

Hey, speak for yourself.

341 posted on 07/13/2005 11:22:08 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: little jeremiah

BTTT


342 posted on 07/13/2005 11:22:14 PM PDT by 185JHP ( "The thing thou purposest shall come to pass: And over all thy ways the light shall shine.")
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To: little jeremiah
ROTFLMAO!!

LJ, this is why you are my hero.

343 posted on 07/13/2005 11:23:02 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: little jeremiah
You must never have read any books by Robert Louis Stevenson or even Louisa May Alcott.

Or L.M.Montgomery or C.S.Lewis or Lloyd Alexander or George MacDonald or Mark Twain or Laura Ingalls Wilder or Madeline L'Engle or Ray Bradbury or...

344 posted on 07/13/2005 11:27:40 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: kingu

Just who cares what he has to say.


345 posted on 07/13/2005 11:33:15 PM PDT by television is just wrong (http://hehttp://print.google.com/print/doc?articleidisblogs.blogspot.com/ (visit blogs, visit ads).)
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To: DefiantZERO; Admin Moderator; PetroniusMaximus
Hey look, everyone! I think I've found another cave troll!
346 posted on 07/13/2005 11:35:06 PM PDT by GipperGal (Look, Frodo, it's Mr. Bilbo's Trolls!)
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To: GipperGal

You did all the work.

Howard Pyle, H.G. Wells, E. Nesbit, Johanna Spyrie, Jules Verne, James Thurber - didn't he write "The 13 Clocks"? Makes me want to go to the library. I don't even know if books like that are still in libraries.

Gosh - I'm not THAT old!


347 posted on 07/13/2005 11:35:52 PM PDT by little jeremiah (A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, are incompatible with freedom. P. Henry)
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To: dsc

As a Christian I don't see the Harry Potter books as a "threat to Christianity", what I think threating are the choices we make in life in regards to our surrender to Christ and our walking in faith.


348 posted on 07/13/2005 11:36:44 PM PDT by Quinotto (On matters of style,swim with the current,on matters of principle stand like a rock-Thomas Jefferson)
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To: little jeremiah
I can't even begin to name all the children's books I loved and read. I forgot to mention the old classics like Ben Hur. I loved historical fiction. It's just so sad to see people praising these books. It's like listening to someone explain to you why The Monkees are superior to the Beatles.

Everyone here is assuming that B16 is some kind of prudish old man. I think he is a man of ideas. A man who has studied the history of ideas. He is a cultured man who knows that books -- even stupid books -- have an impact. Ideas have consequences. He probably read a few chapters and thought, "dear Lord, don't let your kids read this junk."

349 posted on 07/13/2005 11:42:03 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: GipperGal

I also loved historical fiction. It brought history alive.


350 posted on 07/13/2005 11:57:51 PM PDT by little jeremiah (A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, are incompatible with freedom. P. Henry)
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To: television is just wrong
Just who cares what he has to say.

I do. You got a problem with that?

351 posted on 07/13/2005 11:59:20 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: GipperGal

"It's even more horrifying when both are deficient! Think of the Marquis de Sade."

AAAAaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh!

Don't ever make me do that again!


352 posted on 07/13/2005 11:59:43 PM PDT by dsc
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To: Quinotto

"As a Christian I don't see the Harry Potter books as a "threat to Christianity"

Who said they were?


353 posted on 07/14/2005 12:00:46 AM PDT by dsc
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To: little jeremiah
I also loved historical fiction. It brought history alive.

Yes! Even when it wasn't exactly historically correct. I loved and still love Mark Twain's "Memoirs of Joan of Arc".

354 posted on 07/14/2005 12:01:35 AM PDT by GipperGal
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To: GipperGal; Oztrich Boy

Children's books?

Oh, Hemmingway, I guess. (bada-bing)

Does anybody even remember Edgar Rice Burroughs any more?

Recipient of the only three-word book review in history: "Tarzan tripe forever."

But it's good tripe for kids.


355 posted on 07/14/2005 12:04:52 AM PDT by dsc
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To: dsc

Sorry. I know what you mean. But at least I didn't tell you to think of Alfred Kinsey. *shudder*


356 posted on 07/14/2005 12:04:56 AM PDT by GipperGal
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To: dsc
But it's good tripe for kids.

I sure do remember! I read the first few.

357 posted on 07/14/2005 12:06:15 AM PDT by GipperGal
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To: GipperGal

"But at least I didn't tell you to think of Alfred Kinsey."

There's a difference?


358 posted on 07/14/2005 12:06:56 AM PDT by dsc
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To: dsc

LOL! One was from Indiana.


359 posted on 07/14/2005 12:08:06 AM PDT by GipperGal
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Comment #360 Removed by Moderator


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