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
***No, I don't idolize anything.***
I called it and "idol" becuase you seem to be so touchy about it. When people have an idol in their lives they get really agitated when other mess with it.
***I'm arguing very effectively. Slaughtered every one of your "points".****
I'm pretty sure you've failed to do that. Harry Potter is occultic in nature. You can not deny that. Your argument is basically "Well it's sort of occultic but not EXACTLY so therefore it's ok".
***The fact that you must now turn this to attacks against me instead of against HP ***
Bizarre! I was addressing your needed to get personal with me. I did not intend for this to get rancorous. Perhaps we should agree to clean it up or leave it here.
***That you apparently still have the use of at least one of your limbs fills me with admiration for the forbearance of Wiccans/pagans***
Oztrich boy, time to get your head out of the sand!
:)
Touche! You got me there!
But even a blind squirrel can stumble upon an acorn every now and then.
I'm touchy about it because I've seen the damage your kind can do. You're driving people away from Christ, that's bad. I don't think you're doing it deliberately, but that is what you're doing.
Harry Potter is not occultish at all. My argument has been consistently "you are wrong". I went down your monster list point by point and not once did I say it's sort of occultish, I said every single time that they were wrong.
I'm clean. But I will stand against what you're doing because it is wrong.
"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.
Would you consider this as an approval on the books?
P.S. Got my reservation vouchers from "Books-A-Million" for the new HP book, I'll be there Friday midnight with my 8 years old niece :)
"I debunked that entire monster list he posted of "objections"
No, you didn't.
I did. Show me one where it turned out the people were right. Every single time they were wrong about what was going on in the books, every time, no exceptions. Which is what the condemners always do, they're always wrong, they always have to add all kind of layers of baseless interpretation that has no backing in the source to turn the passage into something it isn't.
I just got my confirmation from Amazon. My friend is arriving for a visit on Sunday, (Obviously NOT a Potter fan!! Heehehee)
so I don't mind that Super Saver shipping might be a couple days late. I can't just delve into the book until she leaves.
: )
Have fun tomorrow night.
I will say that assigning impure motives motives to those with whom one disagrees is surely something leftists are guilty of. But it's also something that all of humanity is guilty of. That behavior has nothing to do with leftism in and of itself. IMO.
Let me state that while hostility to religion is, IMO, a particular characteristic of the Left, the reverse is not a necessity.
I'll just reiterate that I liked the statement by Bork that you posted, and find it worthy of its own thread. When he says that we are all infected by leftism, my inclination is to believe he is referring to modern American society. Possibly himself, based on a statement of his last week, I'd agree with that.
"Sorry, the court finds you guilty of being contaminated by leftism in that you have adopted their trait of presuming bad motives on the part of those who disagree.
Nullified by the superior court in light of preceding arguments and in light of the fact that the inferior court was presuming bad motives.
And a friend of mine accuses me of being contaminated by leftism in that I think I'm entitled to my veteran's benefits.
I don't get the logic of your friend on that one. Your benefits are part of a contract at least, and possibly a small demonstration of gratitude on the part of the country.
Perpetuating outright lies about the contents of the books doesn't do a lot for the validity of your position.
"Would you consider this as an approval on the books?"
That doesn't make them a threat to Christianity. That makes them a threat to the unformed consciences of children.
"P.S. Got my reservation vouchers from "Books-A-Million" for the new HP book, I'll be there Friday midnight with my 8 years old niece :)"
For your niece:
THE LORICA OF ST. PATRICK: Apostle to the Emerald Isle
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe in the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Universe.
I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.
I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.
I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.
I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.
Christ, protect me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity,
I believe in the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Universe.
May Christ protect your niece.
I said: There are no real witches either. At least not with powers like Glinda or Harry Potter.
In other words, they're not real.
"in light of the fact that the inferior court was presuming bad motives."
Reversed on appeal. The inferior court was presuming inculturation, not bad motives.
"I don't get the logic of your friend on that one. Your benefits are part of a contract at least, and possibly a small demonstration of gratitude on the part of the country."
In his view, it's still a matter of taking money from some people to give it to other people.
You're probably familiar with the Davy Crockett story about disaster relief.
Personally, I want to become semi immortal, and swindle various people out of money, all the while have a heck of a time.
But you can keep playing with the sand worms... /joke :)
"Perpetuating outright lies about the contents of the books doesn't do a lot for the validity of your position."
It probably wouldn't, but I don't see where I've done that.
But my version made my point better. ;-)
I had a gift certificate. Mother in law LIKES Amazon. : )
I go to bestbookbuys.com and comparison shop.
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