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
No the HP books do not use all the trappings of real people who are evil. They aren't that kind of withc, they don't cast that kind of spell. They are mutants, you could rewrite the entire HP series as X-Men in about 2 hours, really it's the same thing: mutants with special powers who feel a sense of duty to use those powers for good in a boarding school learning to control their powers and occassionally getting into fights with some other mutants who use their powers for evil. It's a freaking X-Men story (well probably New Mutants the X-Men spinoff that focuses on the younger students at Professor X's school for the gifted), just with different nomenclature.
I know these things are real, I also know these things have ZERO ressemblance to what goes on in HP. One of the problems Harry is facing in the books is that he's become vengeance obsessed, it's his temptation to the dark side, lifted right out of Star Wars.
No the HP books take an imaginary world and give it familiar words to help the readers understand it quicker so they can dig into the stories faster. They do things for themselves, we all do, they do things for the people they are about, this is a good thing, and they do things for the good of all, this is a very good thing. Some of them have even sacrificed their lives for the good of all (and more deaths of good guys are coming), this is the ultimate good thing.
And the HP books push the old Spiderman axiom: with great power comes great responsibility.
The whole series is completely blank on the God issue. Looking for religion in the series is a waste of time. now if you don't want to like it because it doesn't push Christianity that's your perogative, but don't lie about it. It's not anti-christian, it's religiously neutral. What you get out of it on the religious question will be what you put into it. Hunt for things you won't like and you'll find them, hunt for things you will like and you'll find them, personally I prefer to read the story the author ACTUALLY wrote and not hunt for my own bias. And the story the author actually wrote simply is not anti-christian. They don't teach that you can have supernatural powers and do whatever you want. That "message" simply is not there, only people who want it to be there will find it, and that's THEIR freaking problem for trying to find reasons to doubt their faith under every rock in the world.
And the good characters in HP DO use their powers for good. Protecting muggles from the bad guys, protecting other wizards from the bad guys, dieing to stop the bad guys. How is protecting the weak from the evil NOT God's purposes?!
As Oztrich Boy pointed out, Dr Kurt E Koch was an easily deluded dupe who should be ignored. Fooled by kids with drawings on stick, not an authority on pretty much anything.
Am not very familiar with the Rowling HP books, but
even on a very slight acquaintance they are definitely
a deleterious influence in one respect: they propagate
a new and unnecessary invidious term (the six letter
word beginning with an "m" and with two "gs") I shudder
to think of anyone saying "you are such a m*ggl*.
***t's not anti-christian, it's religiously neutral.***
There is not such thing as "religiously neutral".
***t's not anti-christian, it's religiously neutral.***
There is no such thing as "religiously neutral".
***t's not anti-christian, it's religiously neutral.***
And let me say it again:
There is no such thing as "religiously neutral".
To be accurate is was Gardner and Doyle who were fooled. It is doubtful if Koch paid enough attention to the actual photographs to be "fooled"
His book is a grab bag of "Examples" demonstrating the world is full of demons and the occult. Deep analysis is not his forte. Just a laundry list of 388 numbered "examples"
Although his take on Doyle is not one of the numbered ones
Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was a spiritualist. He published reports about nature spirits and the people who had seem them Conan Doyle also posesses negatives of nature spiritsAn interesting phrasing, it circles misleadingly around Doyle's articles about the Cottingly Fairies without giving any real information, while never being false within the meaning of the Act.
I NEVER thought I would write this, but I'm beginning to like this guy. Apparently he's for real...we'll see.
You are correct.
*** His book is a grab bag of "Examples" demonstrating the world is full of demons and the occult. Deep analysis is not his forte. Just a laundry list of 388 numbered "example***
I have a friend, an older gentleman, who knew Dr. Koch personally and consulted with him.
Your are mischaracterizing him. He was a man of considerable learning.
My experience is reading a couple of dozen books, including one of Koch's. The guy wasn't quite all there.
Yes there is. The vast majority of entertainment is religiously neutral, taking sides in religion is bad for business, smart authors tread there very lightly or preferably not at all. HP has nothing to do with religion, it's just a fantasy story in an imaginary world that has a different concept for magic than we do. The closest you get to religion in HP is that every school year has a Christmas break repleat with the normal trapping of Christmas out here in reality (tree, presents, fattening food). That's about all you get.
He is also the author of more than "one" book....
(via Bookfinder)
Christian Counseling and Occultism [New/Used]
The Complete Guide to Architectural Carving [New/Used]
Demonology, Past and Present: Identifying and Overcoming Demonic Strongholds [New/Used]
Lure of the Occult [New/Used]
Occult ABC [New/Used]
Occult Bondage and Deliverance [New/Used]
Occult Practices and Beliefs [New/Used]
Between Christ and Satan [Used]
Charismatic Gifts [Used]
CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING AND OCCULTISM The Counselling of the Psychically Disturbed and those Oppressed through involvement in Occultism [Used]
Coming One [Used]
Darkness or Light [Used]
Day X [Used]
Demonology Past and Present [Used]
The Devil's Alphabet [Used]
God Among the Zulus [Used]
Revival Fires in Canada [Used]
The Revival In Indonesia [Used]
The Strife of Tongues [Used]
Victory Through Persecution [Used]
Wine of God: The Holy Spirit Leads in All Truth. Revival in Indonesia, Formosa, Solomon Islands and South India [Used]
Wine of God-Revival in Indonesia, Formosa, Solomon Islands and South India. [Used]
World without chance? [Used]
You two "experts" look silly trying to knock him.
Say it as many times as you want, you'll be wrong each and every time.
***My experience is reading a couple of dozen books, including one of Koch's. The guy wasn't quite all there.***
Funny!
Koch WROTE more books than you have READ on the subject.
Can't we all just get along? < /snicker>
Don't knock reading a book or two. It's more reliable than taking the word of some Landover Baptist web site about how distinguished an expert Dr Koch is.
If you actually read his work, you [well maybe not you specifically] would realize that compared to Kurt Koch, Montague Summers was the model of cold analytical skepticism.
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