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
I had no idea. Thank you for saving me from the depths of Hell.
No problem. Keep a sharp eye on your oatmeal and freeway overpasses. Although you can no longer buy an indulgence, a VM siting has to be worth something.
Anyway, talk to later after my banning. Because it is quite fine to rail against and poke fun at the weak points in various parts of culture outside a denomination, but dontcha dare note similar in the denomination that originally pointed the finger of criticism.
***Yes sir, though I fail to see the relevance.***
OK, so here is the point.
By your own admission you don't want your kids to read a book with actions and behaviors you find unacceptable - even if it is FANTASY.
So whether a work is "fantasy" or not is not the issue. The issue is the moral nature of the content. Else wise you would be OK with the druggie/prostitution book as long as it was "fantasy".
There are certain types of content you find morally unacceptable - drug use, homosexual prostitution.
The Bible makes it clear that certain types of behaviors are morally reprehensible to God - in fact He finds them to be an abomination - things like witchcraft, occultism etc. The Potter books are literally packed with this stuff from start to finish.
Problem is, you are allowing your moral sense to be guided by something other than the Bible. You have a standard of acceptable and unacceptable behavior (that even applies to works of "fantasy") but you are using your own code of morality and not deriving your sense of right and wrong from what the Bible reveals God's opinion to be on this issue.
Even better yet, a VM sighting.
Unless he's read the books, I am uninterested in his opinion. Actually, I'm uninterested even if he *has* read them.
(1) Cardinal Ratzinger's brief comments from two years ago don't justify the headline on this story, "Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels." I realize that headline-writes have to do something to attract our attention --- and a dollypartonesque lady with a wardrobe malfunction can't really be insinuated with no connection whatsoever --- so we have to have the "Pope" opposing "Harry" as if this were a new development in dogma.
News Flash: It's not.
(2) I've read all the Harry Potter novels thus far, and in my judgment Rowling treats magic as a fantasy "alternative technology." Handy kitchen spoons that make their own cream sauce, and so forth. When things get really occult, as in being obsessed or possessed by a perverted entity (e.g. Voldemort or the Dementors), Rowling successfully communicates that "This is something different, this is truly evil." So that's what I'd want her to say, I'm pretty sure.
(3) Though Card. Ratzinger's 2003 note to Gabriele Kuby is not a doctrinal motu proprio from the Pope, I nevertheless have the highest respect for Ratzinger's moral goodness, knowledge of Catholic teaching, and intellectual sophistication with regard to literature. This gives me a much-higher-than-common respect for his opinion, as well as a curiosity about what Gabriele Kuby had to say.
So, I'm all ears.
Yes, there are certain themes I believe would be damaging to children, and others that I find overall quite harmless. Letting kids entertain themselves by imagining flying brooms, invisibility blankets, etc. doesn't bother me. It's all harmless fun.
And as far as using my own personal morality code, I believe God gave me a brain for a reason, to think independently and act on what I feel is right. I pity you, never allowing yourself anything in life before checking the Book to see if you have permission.
But of course. I've read some of the Potter books and watched the movies. I think they're enjoyable and except for some parts that may frighten little kids, I have no problem with them. I really don't care what this guy says about them. I would think he would have his hands full dealing with more pressing internal issues within his own organization to be overly concerned about a children's book.
Yes, well, I have my own reservations about the way the religion is practiced anyway.
Quite frankly, I see things this way:
God is such an all-powerful being, with responsibility over the entirety of the universe, which leads me to believe he has a lot bigger things to worry about than whether I sit in Church for 2 hours singing every Sunday, or whether I decide to toss a few burgers down the gullet on Friday. Does he really give a flying f**k? I don't think so.
Perspective, people, perspective. Christianity, with all the good it embodies, is also just like any other religion: both eyes on keeping the sheep herded.
And if an administrator wants to ban me for that, so be it. In fact, I invite one here myself.
***Yes, there are certain themes I believe would be damaging to children, and others that I find overall quite harmless***
Case in point. It's about what "you" find acceptable - not what the Scriptures say.
***I believe God gave me a brain for a reason,***
He also gave you a Bible.
***I pity you, never allowing yourself anything in life before checking the Book to see if you have permission.***
Internet Handbook:
"No argument? Try a personal attack! It's fun and doesn't require nearly the effort of a real argument."
every once in awhile the vatican says, "stop the world, we want to control your lives".
in 1870 pope pius ix issued his "syllabus of errors" in which he claimed for his church the control of science and culture.
How does the Pope feel about Tolkien?
BLASPHEMY! GODLESS SATANISTS!
I would be willing to wager Tolkien passes muster.
LOL - Shakespeare wasn't glamorizing witchcraft in MacBeth and his work wasn't directly marketed to children.
Harry Potter and friends, however, are characters that children may wish to emulate. Creating curiosity about witchcraft draws the impressionable viewer (read: children) away from holiness.
It's disingenuous to support Harry Potter, blast the pope, and then complain that the mass media is indoctrinating our children into accepting homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. Witchcraft is evil, too, but not in this case? This is aking to saying homosexuality is evil, but not in the case of "Will and Grace" because it's such a well-written show.
Lord of the Rings was written as an allegory for salvation history. Tolkien said as much and was a devout Catholic who had a close friendship with the great theologian, C.S. Lewis. It's not comparable.
***he has a lot bigger things to worry about***
God doesn't "worry" about anything.
***Does he really give a flying f**k? I don't think so. ***
What did Jesus say...
"And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."
***Christianity, with all the good it embodies, is also just like any other religion:***
Are you sure you're a Christian?
I believe he does. As a Christian, I love to go to church and the Bible does teach that God loves our worship. However I agree with you in that I don't see anywhere in the Bible that childrens' books are somehow evil
I don't know why you're so upset by this. You can move your lawn chair and cooler closer to the front door now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.