How reassuring it is that the ecclesiastical authorities of Auckland have taken the initiative to correct the pope on this matter.Let me get this straight: news reports (we know what they're worth) of a private letter (if it's private, what the hell is it doing in news repoers?) written by a guy who later became Pope (but wasn't at the time) expressing some unspecified dislike ("disparaging" for what?) of Rowling's books, ought to be theologically binding on Catholics everywhere, because this anonymoid doesn't like the books either. Left hanging is what Ratzinger didn't like about the books: the cutesy names?
Actually less to the Pope's supposed objection that that.
When Cardinal he recieved a letter from a Gabrille Kuby saying she had written a book exposing Pottery.
She got back a fairly generic letter saying how good is was that people are made aware of the "subtle seductions" that are out there and it might be nice if she sent a copy os her book to Msgr. Peter Fleetwood, then an official at the Pontifical Council for Culture. Catholic News Service
With the release of Half Blood Prince she announced to the media that HP was evil and the Pope agreed with her.
Subsequent to that, on Thursday Vatican Radio interviewed Msgr. Fleetwood, who may be the only person at the Vatican who has actually read either Kuby's book, or the Potter ones.
He said the Potter Books were OK, and was fairly scathing of Kuby
She sent me the book, and I found it a very unsatisfactory bookIn view of the timing of the interview, it is difficult to see this as other than a slapdown by the Vatican (not just the ecclesiastical authorities of Auckland ) of Kuby's claims.
The tendency of the previous Pope was not to say much, even about things that you'd think were practically begging to be addressed. The new one is more garrulous. I fully expect that when (not if) he addresses Potter he will be pretty down on it.