And for my next c:ontroversy: Pope Opposes Harry Potter

[Eric McTavish]

And here we go again kids!!!
Didn't Pope JP soy HP was ok?? What happened?

Story here (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05071301.html)


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/ratzingerlet
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerper

See LifeSite's Harry Potter resource section at:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/

jhw

[Lady Sarah]

I'm so sick of this shite painting HP as evil simply because it revolves in the world of Magic and fantasy. If the critics could look past their torch and see that the heart of the story isn't about devil worship, it's about good versus evil (with Good winning the majority of the time), about growing up as a different kid in a community of different children... and SO much more.

Sadly, these rabid and venemous critics will never see that because they won't read the books.

I'm shutting up now. Pope Fester and his ilk can just shuffle off to Buffalo and he can take his mistaken and misguided opinons with him.

[Magdalene]

John Paul II, having once been an actor (prior to his joining the religious life), got the difference between reality and entertainment.

Benedict doesn't seem to get that.

:roll:

[Kylee]

As annoying as it is, I highly doubt that the Vatican condemning the books is going to hurt the sales and popularity of the series. The Christians who agree with the new Pope wouldn't buy them anyway, and those who do like the booksaren't going to stop reading them now.

Really, when the Pope declares something he doesn't demand that the whole world follow his advice, and not every catholic cares about what he has to say anyway.

[RichardMacHugely]

Having read the articles and letters in the links, I think "condemnation" is too strong a word for the new Pope's feelings about the Potter novels. I don't see him calling for a universal ban on the books, for example, or even for a Catholic ban on them. At worst, he appears to be expressing his belief that some of the elements of the books are incompatible with his theology, and he does so not in an official pronouncement or papal bull, but in a letter to another Catholic who shares his views written a couple of years ago before he became Pope. When did we get to the point that people shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions about the theological and spiritual ramifications of popular cultural phenomena? Surely there would be a lot of us on this board, Pagan, Wicca, secular, even some Christians, who would find the spiritual and theological content of the "Left Behind" series to be at odds with our own personal spiritualities, if not downright dangerous. I know I do. Am I wrong to express that? Doesn't everyone else have the same right?

I'm a serious HP fan, and I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery from Amazon on Saturday morning, but until the Pope tries to get the book banned or burned, I'll grant him his say about it, same as anyone else.

[Lady Sarah]

Having read the articles and letters in the links, I think "condemnation" is too strong a word for the new Pope's feelings about the Potter novels. I don't see him calling for a universal ban on the books, for example, or even for a Catholic ban on them. At worst, he appears to be expressing his belief that some of the elements of the books are incompatible with his theology, and he does so not in an official pronouncement or papal bull, but in a letter to another Catholic who shares his views written a couple of years ago before he became Pope. When did we get to the point that people shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions about the theological and spiritual ramifications of popular cultural phenomena? Surely there would be a lot of us on this board, Pagan, Wicca, secular, even some Christians, who would find the spiritual and theological content of the "Left Behind" series to be at odds with our own personal spiritualities, if not downright dangerous. I know I do. Am I wrong to express that? Doesn't everyone else have the same right?

I'm a serious HP fan, and I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery from Amazon on Saturday morning, but until the Pope tries to get the book banned or burned, I'll grant him his say about it, same as anyone else.

Unfortunately, Richard, like many Celebrities, once the Pope's position - Good, Bad, Indifferent - is expressed, people will line up behind it and use it to bolster their own, their cause, etc.

"OOOO LOOK!!! The Pope doesn't like it, it's GOT to be evil!" Yes, there are Sheeple out there who are just that blind and naive. Of course, this flares up every release date of a HP Book or Movie, so we should be numb to it by the release of #7. Heaven help JK Rowling if she kills of Harry in the next book.

Personally, I think that he and everyone else painting the book as misguiding to children and whatnot should actually, GASP, HORROR, READ the damned book first before they pronounce judgement on it. I think we call that.... ready for it? "Judging a book by it's cover".

[Angel_of_Fire]

i was waiting for all the bad stuff to really start popping up. i know there was some other guy who said it was bad(midnight release=satan) but this is the worst so far. people will always find some way to make everything bad. as a person who grew up in church & has gone to a christian school for the past 7 years, i dont think im going to start worshiping satan because i read HP. i think people should know the limit that they can handle and parents should pay attention to their kids to see if it is too much. KIDS ARE READING! you would think they would be happy? guess not.

[RichardMacHugely]

Personally, I think that he and everyone else painting the book as misguiding to children and whatnot should actually, GASP, HORROR, READ the damned book first before they pronounce judgement on it. I think we call that.... ready for it? "Judging a book by it's cover".

I'm not sure that you can state definitively that the Pope hasn't read the books, or at least one of them. Certainly Mr. O'Brien has read them all. And it doesn't seem like the Pope has advocated banning the books, all he as done is offered an opinion about them. If others twist that opinion to suit their own fear and ignorance, well, I'm not sure how much of that is really his fault and how much their own.

And I can also say that the "controversy" stirred by some of the wacked out criticism out there has been excellent marketing for Ms. Rowling and can only have boosted her sales. I know the only reason I bought my first Potter books (1,2, and 3 all in one go from Amazon) was because I had heard some evangelical types bitching and moaning about how evil they were, so buying everyone I could get was my way of spitting in their eye. A month or so later, I figured I had the damn things on the shelf so I might as well read them, and I got totally hooked.

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

And here we go again kids!!!
Didn't Pope JP soy HP was ok?? What happened?
He died.



...apparently because Dmitri masturbated.

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

When did we get to the point that people shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions about the theological and spiritual ramifications of popular cultural phenomena?
People are allowed to express their opinions, but they're not allowed to complain about the ridicule that ensues when those opinions are stupid. :)

[Kylee]

I'm not saying that the Pope shouldn't be allowed to express his opinion. Trust me, I am painfully aware of Christian (Catholic or otherwise) positions on Harry Potter be it for or against.

All I'm trying to say is that to the rest of the non-christian world what the Pope thinks about Harry Potter doesn't make a bit of difference.

[Jessa]

If anything, hearing the Pope condemn a book many see as harmless fantasy will probably hurt his immage more than HP's.

I'd much rather all papal opinions that got press were complaining about things this trivial. Its much better than pressuring nations to ban abortions and birth control.

[Ysobelle]

And here we go again kids!!!
Didn't Pope JP soy HP was ok?? What happened?
He died.



...apparently because Dmitri masturbated.


As I'm not really supposed to be reading the boards at work, I almost killed myself trying not to laugh out loud.

This is all Dmitri's fault?

[Psyche]

And here we go again kids!!!
Didn't Pope JP soy HP was ok?? What happened?
He died.



...apparently because Dmitri masturbated.


As I'm not really supposed to be reading the boards at work, I almost killed myself trying not to laugh out loud.

This is all Dmitri's fault?
I recall something about a graphic (on a t-shirt IIRC) that read "Everytime I masterbate, a Pope dies".

[Myfanawy]

Yup, don't really care what the pope has to say about HP. I requested the day off work so I could sit and read it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. :singdanc:
--M

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

And here we go again kids!!!
Didn't Pope JP soy HP was ok?? What happened?
He died.



...apparently because Dmitri masturbated.


As I'm not really supposed to be reading the boards at work, I almost killed myself trying not to laugh out loud.

This is all Dmitri's fault?
I recall something about a graphic (on a t-shirt IIRC) that read "Everytime I masterbate, a Pope dies".
"Everytime I masturbate, God kills the Pope"

[Galleywench]

Yup, don't really care what the pope has to say about HP. I requested the day off work so I could sit and read it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. :singdanc:
--M

You are my hero!!! I know that Jay, Sparrow and myself will be bleery eyed and sucking down the coffee trying to stay awake at SCRF this Sunday after surely staying awake all night reading! (we're planning a book road trip as soon as hit hits the shelves Saturday evening lol)

[Tony Gainey]

With the pope objecting to the book there will be a lot of people siding with him.But when something is as widely accepted by the people that Harry Potter is than the impact will be almost unoticed if not completely unoticed by the majority.