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
Most of the time I spent studying the occult was spent with primary sources, I read extensively from Crowley and Levi and various (generally obviously fake once you got a few pages in) versions of "ancient" books like the Necronomicon. I started with secondary sources like Koch but they just weren't giving me the information I wanted. I was trying to find REAL occult stuff in things I was enjoying and certain people were condemning, couldn't find it in secondary sources, so I went to primary sources. And again I couldn't find it, found plenty of real occult stuff in those primary sources of course, but found nothing that actually related to the stuff that was being condemned. And there's a good reason for that: it simply isn't there. Wasn't there in D&D, wasn't there in fantasy metal (outside of the nutty few like Danzig that freely admit it, my hunt was for the "subtle influences" in the more mainstream stuff that the condemners are always proclaiming, of course the look for anything subtle in heavy metal is generally doomed from the start), isn't there in HP. They simply are not occult gateways of any kind.
No he didn't, well maybe by 1 or 2. But with the volume he wrote and the volume I read a difference of a couple books is not material.
***The essence of moral evil is "my will be done."***
It also gives children a taste for "spiritual power".
I have commented several times on these two threads that HP books entice children with the fantasy of having wonderful powers to control others with magic. Others including the natural world, and other people and animals. This is exactly the foundation of "black magic". People believing or not believing such powers existence doens't make any difference - the seed of the matter is the HP books strongly and seductively encourage the desire to be Lord, and to achieve any means to do it, including the glittery world of magic.
Control of others, not control of self, which is the real duty and objective of life.
***It's more reliable than taking the word of some Landover Baptist web site about how distinguished an expert Dr Koch is.***
???
What are you talking about?
*** If you actually read his work****
I have.
***They simply are not occult gateways of any kind.***
That simply isn't true. I can't tell you ther number of people I know personally who have found music a motivation force in their pursuit of occultism.
You are blind to it's influence.
It simply is true. I can tell you the number of people I know personally that have never found music a motivation force in their persuit of anything but more music: ALL of them. It is NOT a gateway. Anyone that tells you the music they listened to led them to the occult is LYING to you. They were already interested in the occult and picked music accordingly.
And I am so glad I placed a qualifier my statement
***. Anyone that tells you the music they listened to led them to the occult is LYING to you. ***
You can't tell me these people don't exist.
I know them.
*** And I am so glad I placed a qualifier my statement***
I saw that.
I can tell you these people don't exist, because they don't. Occult stuff in fantasy metal always leads to bad things in the song, anyone getting "inspired" by these songs isn't paying attention, which means they obviously aren't being inspired. That might be their excuse, but one of the first rules of excuse mongers is to never believe their excuse, they're just deflecting the truth. The truth is people turn to the occult because they decided to turn to the occult, the soundtrack they had before or after is immaterial.
As much as I want to continue this I'm going to have to drop off here to pursue work today (looming deadline). I'll be watching the thread for further gross distortions by you two and hopefully be back tomorrow should this thread live.
PS Ozboy, we had some good fun with your nom de plume last night - I hope you didn't mind!
:)
Anybody can hope
Therer have been no gross distortions by me. There is no occult in HP, it is not a gateway, and that's the plainly obvious truth.
Good luck, get done.
OK now I'm offended!
I don't think you've been gross either ;)
You are assuming that we are so morally weak that we are easily seduced by such influences. How subtly insulting.
For younger children (7-8 years), the Ramona series, Charlotte's Web, and the Little House Series.
For a little older children (4th/ 5th grades), Caddie Woodlawn, the Mixed Up Files of Miss Basil E. Frankweiler, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Number the Stars, and A Door in the Wall.
For junior high age kids, the Cynthia Voight series (especially Homecoming and Dicey's Song), the Giver, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the old HS freshman standbys (To Kill a Mockingbird and The Diary of Anne Frank).
(If you would like to be added to my Catholic Ping List, please send a Freepmail.)
I've pretty much stayed out of this debate, and it probably isn't the biggest issue we face today, but I will say this: I have seen a lot of rather defensive posts on the topic.
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