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
Ah yes, it is those evil books rather than those video games, television programs, magazine advertising, billboards, etc that so drastically affect children...
Yeah right.
Well, that didn't take long.
Of course video games, television programs, magazine advertising, billboards, etc. have an influence. And so do those evil books.
I think I finally have it figured out. The Holy Father referred to "subtle seductions, which act unnoticed."
The key word there is "unnoticed."
I think perhaps some people are just unwilling to face the fact that they *didn't* notice, that they weren't *first* to see it, that they had to have it pointed out to them.
I think perhaps some people would rather die than admit that to themselves, and that's why no amount of reasoned argument avails, why the more it piles up, the angrier they get.
Occultism is an abomination to God - no matter what the form.
For cryin' out loud, they're fantasy novels, get over it.
Lord of the Rings is better. I've read Harry Potter and it's easy to see why kids these days don't read books like The Hobbit, LOTR and C.S.Lewis.
***For cryin' out loud, they're fantasy novels, get over it.***
Hypothetical: how would you feel is Harry Potter was "fantasy" novel about a pot smoking, young meth dealer and his male prostitute, junkie friends?
Would you bee cool with letting your kids read that?
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?"
God will judge and He has given us His rules that He WILL judge us by. He also gives us a free will obviously, to do as we please if we choose to not follow His rules.
Satan, The Devil and ALL his Demons are liars!! There WILL be judgement!
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
*** Apples and oranges.***
Not an answer...
*** No, but it's not about any of that, so the point is moot.***
Not so quick.
***What kind of point exactly do you make?***
First off, let me ask you - are you a Christian?
Yes sir, though I fail to see the relevance. Has Christianity become so narrow-minded?
I read and watch Star Trek, which in many cases promotes evolution. But I enjoy it anyway. Am I a sinner?
I'm not sure how this jives with the Magi. Weren't they suppose to be following a star to find Jesus.
You seriously need to calm down and learn the difference between practicing an art and reading a fictional story about it..
Yes. But if you rub the golden toe of a statue in the Vatican, somehow it may help your cause.
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