Pope Benedict XVI and Harry Potter

[ThePhilosopher2]

I recently read an article saying that Pope Benedict blasted the Harry Potter novels saying, ""It is good that you explain the facts of Harry Potter, because this is a subtle seduction, which has deeply unnoticed and direct effects in undermining the soul of Christianity before it can really grow properly." Here is the link to the article http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/article/2439745

According to a reputable Harry Potter fansite, mugglenet.com, apparently he said this a couple years ago while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. Furthermore, they have noted that it's just rumor. Has anyone read anything directly from Benedict, now or in the past, that would indicate such a feeling.

I know that I was quite happy when the Vatican announced that they approved of the books, as they are quite entertaining (yes, I'm just about to graduate college and start law school and I read Harry Potter...of course I also read Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein, and Augustine, so my reading list is a bit more advanced than you might assume by my reading if Harry Potter). I personally think it's silly to think that Harry Potter at all presents a threat to the Church. It is fiction, JK Rowling is a Christian, and the books actually have a Christian theme (just with some fun magic intertwined). As I said, the Pope might have never said anything like this, and until I see a statement from him or the Vatican, I won't believe it. If he did make it, though, I'm a bit disappointed. This could hardly be considered an infallible teaching, though, so I really have no problem disagreeing with it. And being that I love this man's doctrinal teachings, I won't think any less of him. I really don't have too much of a problem disgreeing with things like this.

Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else heard about this or had any thoughts on it.

-Matt

[Ter]

I doubt it's legitimate. It's probably more of the whole 'nasty evil pope who wants to make everyone's lives miserable' theme.

[Michael T.]

Harry Potter, up to this point, has been harmless fiction.



It seems to me that the witches and wizards in the Potter series aren't human beings who have made a pact with the devil in exchange for magic powers (as with real witches/warlocks/wizards etc.). They are imaginary beings of an entirely different species inhabiting a fictional universe created by J.K. Rowling.



I am sure that sometimes some Harry Potter fans may have looked into real witchcraft, and that is troubling, but I don't imagine too may people with good Catholic or Christian backgrounds would find themselves cleverly deceived into a world of witchcraft and Satanism through their reading of a Harry Potter novel or seeing one of the films. It would seem that only those without a solid Christian upbringing (meaning they do not attend church regularly, or are essentially ignorant of their Christian faith even if it is practiced to some degree in the home) would get sucked into the occult by reading Harry Potter books.



The answer isn't a ban on Harry Potter. The answer is good parenting.



I don't believe Harry Potter is the danger to Christians or gateway to evil that some confused souls have made it out to be.



There are witches and wizards in all sorts of classic children's and young literature. Examples include: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of Rings Trilogy (and The Hobbit), and even The Wizard of Oz.



The Wizard of Oz has good witches and bad witches and is rooted in Theosophy. Yet I haven't heard Catholics ranting about that.



But I have heard Catholics pitch a fit about Harry Potter, and it embarrassed me that Catholics were hopping on a bandwagon started by Protestant fundamentalists without having objective evidence to back up their claims that the books were problematic.

[tuopaolo]

Originally Posted by ThePhilosopher2

I know that I was quite happy when the Vatican announced that they approved of the books, as they are quite entertaining

I don't think it's true that the Vatican announced that "they" approved of the books. I don't think the Holy See ever took an authentic (meaning authoritative) public position one way or another on the books. The only webpage on the whole Vatican website that addresses Harry Potter, judging at least from a google search, appears to be this one:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/po...02-not_en.html

And it is simply a collection of news articles published by the Pontifical Council for Culture.

I don't think any reasoned Catholic would hold that Harry Potter is perfect and free from any and all problematic elements. There are very few if any movies and books today which are free any problematic elements. So if you want to be entertained by them you'll have to tolerate some of them or else go back to older movies and books.

Ironically Pope Benedict's books in Germany have toppled the latest Harry Potter book in the best seller list, rising to number one:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7572500/

Pope Benedict XVI is our Pastor and so even if some of his views or teachings are not infallible teachings, they should still be listened to with appropriate docility. In the end you can disagree, but only after prayerfully giving it due consideration and weight. Interesting while trying to search for verification of the quotation, I found a forum where one person responded by saying that Benedict XVI was "closed minded" when ironically it was that person who was being closed minded by not even examining what Benedict XVI as Cardinal Ratzinger had to say before dismissing it.

[Gottle of Geer]

Originally Posted by ThePhilosopher2

I recently read an article saying that Pope Benedict blasted the Harry Potter novels saying, ""It is good that you explain the facts of Harry Potter, because this is a subtle seduction, which has deeply unnoticed and direct effects in undermining the soul of Christianity before it can really grow properly." Here is the link to the article http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/article/2439745

According to a reputable Harry Potter fansite, mugglenet.com, apparently he said this a couple years ago while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. Furthermore, they have noted that it's just rumor. Has anyone read anything directly from Benedict, now or in the past, that would indicate such a feeling.

I know that I was quite happy when the Vatican announced that they approved of the books, as they are quite entertaining (yes, I'm just about to graduate college and start law school and I read Harry Potter...of course I also read Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein, and Augustine, so my reading list is a bit more advanced than you might assume by my reading if Harry Potter). I personally think it's silly to think that Harry Potter at all presents a threat to the Church. It is fiction, JK Rowling is a Christian, and the books actually have a Christian theme (just with some fun magic intertwined). As I said, the Pope might have never said anything like this, and until I see a statement from him or the Vatican, I won't believe it. If he did make it, though, I'm a bit disappointed. This could hardly be considered an infallible teaching, though, so I really have no problem disagreeing with it. And being that I love this man's doctrinal teachings, I won't think any less of him. I really don't have too much of a problem disgreeing with things like this.

Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else heard about this or had any thoughts on it.

-Matt

## If the Harry Potter books are bad, at least they are written by a Christian

Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Epicurus, Catullus, Cicero, Ovid, Petronius, Virgil, Apuleius, Lucian, and many more have been read in schools for centuries. None of these was Christian - all of them contain matter which is incompatible with Christianity in any form.

Maybe the critics of Rowling, Lewis, and Tolkien should settle down with some of these.

"The Romance of the Rose" was bitterly denounced in France in the fourteenth century - and had equally energetic defenders. ##

[gomer tree]

Personally, I do not promote or appreciate the Harry Potter books. And I really am not all that concerned with the wizardry aspect. My problem is the way the kids talk to each other. I don't want my younger kids thinking that is somehow the norm. My other problem is that these kids accomplish good by defying authority and going about things they are told/asked not to do. They are made to look wiser than their authority figures.

I also think the Vatican's statement was more generic than an "approval." Basically, it was: People - let's not get bent out of shape and think your kids will become sorcerers because they read a work of fiction. I agree with that. i think my reasons for not liking the books differ from the reasons other people don't like them.

[Francis Ocoma]

Could someone please tell us if this news is fake? I just don't see why the former Cardinal would condemn the books like that.