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 have a strange urge to become"
Can't help you there, but I do have reservations at Club Med Pellucidar.
Apparently you are not following the conversation. That ridiculous chart you provided has several outright lies.
Example: Harry NEVER broke the law by performing magic in book 2. A magical creature did so, and framed Harry.
I've never seen evidence of any such thing.
Glinda's a bit ridiculous. But yes, satanists, witches and warlocks can cast spells and curse people. Yes indeedy.
She's a funny kid too, I overheard her one time when one of her more "hip" friends was mocking her choice in music, calling it "old people" music and my little ray of sunshine, my sweet niece said to her with an amused voice that Christ is not telling her not to have fun, quite the contrary and that she likes listening to Christian music.
"Apparently you are not following the conversation. That ridiculous chart you provided has several outright lies."
I think you didn't follow my conversation. The other fellow claimed to have debunked *all* the points in the chart. He may have pointed out some inaccuracies, but at least several of his arguments were irrelevant or invalid, and in the end he failed to argue effectively against the premise that the books present a false picture of the occult.
Book 3, which this quote is from, is the best in the series, with 5 running a close second. Her style improves although she is in serious need of an editor.
You either find her work witty and amusing or you don't. I thought the first two books were laugh-out-loud funny but not many people have that reaction.
Well, then, it seems we can hope your niece will escape the risks inherent in exposure to false ideas regarding the occult.
Other children will not be so fortunate.
But the use of "magic" or occult powers for good ends is promoted. It's all about the normalization of the occult. Since Rowling's books are less overtly hostile to religion than Pullman's books, Rowling's books are probably more effective in desensitizing children to the occult.
Generally speaking, these were not the sort of people I think you want your children to become.
***Both of you stopped reading where you wanted to.***
No Cory! - it's that your post was so long winded I had trouble getting though it!
:)
Well, we would have to address that first wouldn't we.
NO ONE CALLED FOR THE BANNING OR CENSORSHIP OF THESE BOOKS.
"I just noticed that a few of my snarkier posts have vanished."
Too bad. You had me rolling in the aisle.
"Since Rowling's books are less overtly hostile to religion than Pullman's books, Rowling's books are probably more effective in desensitizing children to the occult."
There it is. It's all about subtlety.
Yes, that is the opinion of a good friend of mine who's opinion I also respect. I must admit, I was biased from the beginning because I was forced to watch the movie version of the first book during a flight from Boston to LA a few years ago.
Physcial, scientific evidence that has been reviewed by disinterested experts.
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