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
I don't like it when they dumb down things for an American audience. The UK version has philosopher's stone. BTW, here's an essay on that (philosopher's stone)
http://www.quackgrass.com/stone.html
It certainly is getting a lot of kids to read. I think that's a good thing as long as HP aren't the only books they read.
That's why I refer to the book as "Philosopher's Stone" and only read my British copy.
Will check that essay out... one of the more interesting takes on the Philosopher's Stone lately was a story in which it was made out of people...
Anyone who says that has no clue what they're talking about.
No, it was in a story. You can do whatever you want in your own fantasy world.
The original one wasn't, I know, but I thought it was an interesting parable about how desperate some people are for power.
Heh, my dad started me on Heinlein's juvenile novels when I was nine. Got permanently twisted after that. I also learned that I didn't have to put up with lousy novels just because they have a "Christian" label.
Lewis might have been heavy-handed, but he had a story worth telling and characters that were likable. Today it's all message and moral, no story.
I can top that. There was a two-word review for Mario Puzo's Fools Die: "Fools buy."
The Philosopher's Stone is Soylent Green?
Ugh, I try to forget the hideous scarring of my psyche that resulted from reading "Elsie Dinsmore". Good grief, I can't believe homeschooler types are trying to promote that sacharine nonsense as "good reading for girls". I couldn't decide whether to mock Elsie or just laugh.
You saw Fullmetal Alchemist, you know what I'm talking about.
Heh...I know. But for some reason, the way that sentence was phrased...I couldn't resist.
I love the stuff Heinlein wrote in his early years, for teens, and a few of his later novels like Troopers or "Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Then he... well, I don't like what he did later. Heinlein was one of my formative interests. I read Asimov too, but Heinlein was my inspiration.
The first book is called, Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone.No it's not. That's just ignorance
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is organized:Sheesh! It's the wixarding world version of an English Public School Of Couse it's organized.
Dumbledore (a man) (#1)) Supreme Mugwump
Snape (a man) (#2)
Professor Minerva McGonagall (a woman) (#2) Deputy Headmistress (book 1, p. 51)
No Snape is not #2, He's the Hosemaster of Slytherin, one of four Housemaster/mistresses
Minerva McGonagall is also Deputy Headmistress and would rank as Dumbledore's 2IC - It's a school remember they have a hierarchy.
Going off to DU to prove that the USA is an organized on occult lines. It has a President (a man), a Vice-Presiden (a man), a Secretary of State (a woman)
In the occult world, people "die" by "accident" or "natural causes."Happens in the muggle world too
portal - the opening between the physical plane and the astral plane through which entities move back and forth. Portals open with the correct words.Portal is an erudite (ie unAmerican) word for doorway or gateway
Book 1, p. 291. "There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it."Omitted to mention that that's the philosophy of Voldemort, who is evil 'K? Hitler and Saddam had similar ideas - that's what makes them bad guys.
Book 3, p. 250, 251. Hermione is reading a Rune translation.I'm shocked, shocked. But as few people these days have Old Norse as a first langauge, I don'r see the alternative
But thank you for confirming that foolish people have a problem with Harry Potter
I've done the "Philosopher's Stone is PEOPLE" bit. Hehehe... when my poor new victims get that far, I'll do it again... mwahaha... but that's a long way since we only just had horrible things happen to small innocent children.
Well, this is beating a dead horse, but saying that Harry Potter books make the occult look attractive is akin to saying the same about magic shows, etc., IMO. Do you also disapprove of those? Probably we should agree to not argue it anymore.
"You've interpreted my statement to mean, "Everything that's fun is bad," when my meaning was that some things that are fun are bad. Why did you do that?
Your interpretation of my statement may be the one that's false. But remember, it was you, not I, who associated fun with the Devil.
"Satan uses everything, including self-righteousness. What is startling about your statement is that you imagine those of us who see the danger are harboring feelings of self-rightousness.
I personally think that it could smack of self righteousness to go around condemning the books as satanic. And it is more the attitude with which it is said than the argument, I believe. However, I think I did finally say it was more silly than anything else. But I concede the point; I believe your motives are true. I will withdraw the sentence about self righteousness, except to acknowledge, as you do, its existence.
"Liberals, of course, take it as an article of faith that everyone who disapproves of anything they approve of is acting out of bad motives, like self-righteousness. It's frightening to see how many conservatives do the same thing.
Hey, Mr. DSC, you implied that those who enjoyed or approve of Harry Potter books are seduced by the Devil. Talk about an assumption of bad motives! No wonder I considered the possibility, perhaps wrongly, of self righteousness.
"I guess it's like Robert Bork said in "Slouching Toward Gomorrah," we're all contaminated by leftism to some degree."
Let me quickly say that I think it generally inappropriate for Freepers to label other freepers as liberals or leftists in place of actually arguing against their points. But I confess to rather liking the sound of that statement by Robert Bork. It is reminiscent of the classic 19th century statement by Sir William Harcourt, "We're all socialists now." It's worthy of its own thread, IMO. I plead innocent, btw...
Some things are just not worth attempting
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