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
Why are you so condemning of the statments that would apply to Catholics mainly and not to you if you aren't?
You seem very aggrieved that the head of the Catholic church is addressing Catholics on this point.
That's exactly what it sounded like to me, too.
Excellent point. I believe the reason the people who don't recognize the danger in books that glorify the occult is because they do not really believe that the preternatural is real, and has power. Although they recognize the influence of drug dealers and prostitutes to be real and harmful, they don't really believe demons exist and therefor don't recognize their influence as real or harmful.
You got facts bring em, you don't got facts admit you're making crap up. Of course the truth is you don't have facts, I know it, everyone who's actually read the HP books and knows anything about real work occult knows it, the only people that don't know it are the ones condemning HP. Every decade this crowd of pathetic morons has to pick something to condemn, and they're always wrong, and always drag Christianity down with them.
*************
I'm sorry you're so upset. I can't agree that this discussion is in any way dragging Christianity down, however.
***There's not one single factual error in that post.***
Here's an easy one for you - (one of many). Real occultist us mirrors in their magic.
Mirrors are used in the series as vehicles of magic.
***I'm sick to death of people like you...condemning narrow minded... disgusting, the true tools of Satan... idiots... pathetic morons****
Whatever else your "religion" has brought you, it has sure brought you a foul mouth.
***************
The very point I tried earlier (and clumsily) to make.
"One of the greatest plays in English literature is about witches and witchcraft - It's called Macbeth. Perhaps the Pope never heard of it."
Macbeth is all about human weakness, and how that leads us into evil.
Shakespeare, who lived in a culture that believed in witches, used them *briefly* for color and to advance the story. It's in no way accurate to say that it is "about witches and witchcraft."
Kinda makes me feel better that we don't read Rowling in our house.
***Of course now I suppose you're going to tell me JK Rowling is really a witch and she's selling the idea to children through her books***
That's for you to decide.
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Ping to article.
Interesting reasoning on Ratzinger's part. What do you think?
I think I'm not convinced he sees HP as problematic as the author ~thinks~ he does.
"When things get really occult, as in being obsessed or possessed by a perverted entity (e.g. Voldemort or the Dementors), Rowling successfully communicates that "This is something different, this is truly evil." So that's what I'd want her to say, I'm pretty sure."
Well, Mrs., we've agreed on quite a few things, but I really think you've missed the point on this one.
Rowling does what you say, but this has the effect of dividing the occult into the "good" occult and the "bad" occult, teaching children that part of the occult is "good" when in fact the entire occult is evil.
And I think I'm Protestant so I can sidestep this whole issue ;-)
My spouse and I have seen the movies and mildly enjoyed them. We read the first book to educate ourselves on the subject, since there was so much contention about it in Christian circles.
Our conclusion: we enjoyed the stories, but wouldn't allow our children to see them (or read the books). The fantasy part doesn't bother us much, nor does the magic, since we are adults, Christians, and firmly rooted in our faith. It is fantasy and make-believe to us, and we're not corrupted by it.
One of the biggest problems we have is that the Harry Potter books teach children that adults are stupid, and children should disobey them.
The other problem we have is that the books have desensitized people (and children) to the occult.
Case in point: In a HP display at Barnes & Noble we saw a book called "Spells for Children". Contained inside: directions for performing real wiccan spells!
I also find the enormous CRAZE for these books to be very disturbing and suspicious. Full grown women are forming chat groups to discuss the book (presumably regarding their children's interest).
The books are interesting, but they're not that great. I'll take The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe any day.
You only ~think~ you're Protestant? ;-)
"13. Judging others: "Judge not lest ye be judged...Why seest thou a mote in thy brother's eye, and perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Lots of people take that out of context to present it as a proscription on discriminating between good and evil.
It's not.
If you think that the sins of those who have betrayed the Church will prevent it from speaking out on issues which it considers to be important, then you're mistaken. If the Church takes its mission seriously, it will continue to offer guidance to those who voluntarily adhere to its belief system. As for being "narrow-mined", Christianity has always been narrow-mined. That's the way it's supposed to be and it's good. I use the term in the Scriptural sense, not the perjorative vernacular, which implies that the worst attribute a person could possibly acquire would be to become highly selective about following modern cultural trends and fads. Jesus said that the gate which leads to salvation is "narrow". So yes, we're narrow-minded.
This Pope has never swept anything under the rug. Nor will he.
As for Rowling's work, it is indeed a modern cultural fad. Yet another case of collective insanity which appears out of nowhere, then vanishes as quickly as it appears, leaving people to wonder why they ever took any interest in it to begin with but doing damage while it lasts. The best that can be said about it is that it's "fiction". I certainly don't subscribe to the notion that because a work is "fiction" it is therefore harmless to those who read it or view it. Nor does anyone with any intelligence, I don't believe.
Sorcery and witchcraft are not fantasy to a believing Catholic anymore than God is fantasy, though some may try to treat of these issues in a frivolous manner and portray them as harmless or even desirable. So the Pope is perfectly correct in expressing his reservations about these books. It's not done out of "fear"- except a fear that some maybe drawn to the occult through reading it- the Church has no fear of Harry Potter per se.
Finally, the Church has always warned of the dangers of entertainment which does not promote Christian values. It's part of its job description. The scoffers will continue to scoff but that's OK. Believe it or not, many people still look to the Church for guidance in these matters and appreciate it.
I found his reasoning interesting. It appears to be this: Since HP blurs the lines between good and evil then it injures in our young the formation of a Christian worldview.
That thought is worthy of reflection.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
LOTR and the Narnia books uplift the mind and heart. The Harry Potter books are slimey, poorly written, crass, and appeal to lowly emotions and aspirations. They make evil and nastiness seem cool. I read two of them (am thinking eventually to possibly write a couple of books for older children, say 9 up) and wanted to see the author's style and presentation.
I was amazed that the books are so popular. They are two dimensional. There are different kinds of fantasy - that which uplifts, and gives a hint of the eternal, and that which degrades, and gives a hint of the subterranean. HP is the latter. And as the Pope said, makes the illicit seem attractive - kind of like a prostitute in the semi-dark, with a lot of makeup on.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
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