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SEPTEMBER 5, 2006 at 8:29 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: CBC via YubaNet via Moreover
Additional controversy seems to be popping up once again in reference to the Harry Potter books and the Vatican. This time, chief exorcist, Rev. Gabriele Amorth states
that fictional character Harry Potter is the “king of darkness, the devil” in an interview with Vatican Radio last week.
Rev. Amorth goes on to compare the Potter characters to Stalin and Hitler, and says:
You can tell by their behavior and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons.
You may remember that last year in another interview on Vatican Radio, Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, an expert on New Age and former official at the Pontifical Council for Culture said that:
...I remain firmly convinced that the Harry Potter novels are very well written. They are written on the classical plot of good versus evil in the standard way that the old myths were written. The characters are built up around that: the goodies and the baddies so to speak, and I can't see that that's a bad thing for children, when goodness, and the people on the side of goodness are portrayed as the ones who will eventually win. Harry's enemies resort to all sorts of evil things, and they are the ones who loose in the end. I don't see what's wrong with that, and I can't see that does any harm to children.
It would seem that personnel from the Vatican cannot agree on Harry Potter.
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Witch
Points: 634
Tammyant says:
I guess like anyone else they all have their own opinions.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 8:42 AM EST
Witch
Points: 885
Prof. Weasle says:
Rev. Aforth *has not* read any of the six books (in English or Italian!) If you read his original comments, he even confuses Harry/the Order/the "good guys" with the Dark Lord and his followers. Rev. Aforth also has not seen any of the movies. I dispise when people in a position of authority take a side on an issue that they are ill-informed about. Rev. Aforth should study and read about Harry Potter (or just visit here and see what we're about!) before he denounces it.
(Just in case you wanted to know why this angered me so much - or not:P )I am a Catholic, and have attended Catholic schools and even a Catholic college/seminary. I live under vows as a third order member. I am a THEOLOGICAL LIBERAL (I'm into liberation theology and Pope John Paul II) however and am deeply disturbed that someone like this is even in the Vatican.
I think it's a shame that Rev. Aforth dares to speak for the whole of the Catholic Church and Christianity.
Oh, and Thestral Eyes you comments are rather repugnant... to assume first of all that Catholics and all Christians believe the same thing belies even more ignorance than your spelling errors - but to say that one person's view applies to an entire population or that belief makes a person inherently less intelligent is bigoted. I wish you would read more about us - or talk to a few of us and find out what we are really like before you mischaracterise our beliefs and declare yourself "better". Most Christians or Catholics are NOT ignorant yokels...
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 8:57 AM EST
Silly Squib
Points: 3741
Mat Madcat says:
I can't, for the life of me, understand why some religious figures in the world. Feel the need to speak out on something they have little or no grasp on. To me, it always comes across as narrow minded or close minded. And those are two issues that are too often associated with religion. Comments like that, do more harm to religion then help it. To people like myself who aren't religious, it gives us a feeling that more, and more religious individuals think this way. Now, I know thats not the case because you can't judge the masses off of one individual. But, I'm a little more opened minded then most, and i understand he doesn't speak for hundreds who feel this way.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:19 AM EST
Squib
Points: 100
lidian says:
The Roman Catholic Church has been a socio-religious entitity with political and financial clout but the exorcist mindset seems insular with power-controlling religions.
Exorcism was a form of power control that claimed to drive sprits from a living being which started to gain influence during the Middle Ages and religious power mindset when the general public was illiterate with reading the written word. The iliterate person had to trust whether the literati or literate reader was reading and relaying the written words truthfully. Aperson could be determined as being guilty of having a spirit controlling them or bear false witness and the innocent party would not know they were told a lie or told the truth about their circumstances.
People in authority ruled with fear and their hidebound point of view that does not take in or consider individual and global mindset.
There is no scientific proof that ghosts and evil sprits exist.
Evil or good behavior is based on action, an act of doing. Being evil or good is a personal choice.
A church does not have the right to control what books a family could or could not read. The authority lies with the parents, caregivers for young children. When children grow older they can read what they want as long they don't break any pornography laws by doing so.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:20 AM EST
Queen of the Yarn Ball
Points: 3829
red&gold says:
Why don't they all just read the book??? :) It might help them just a little bit. :) I still cannot believe how much of this is still going on... Harry Potter is not going anywhere anytime soon!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:21 AM EST
Points: 3679
astrostar says:
Boo! Just because Harry Potter uses magic, the Pope is calling him the devil. Magic used to be part of the Catholic faith in Medieval times. How hippocritical of him to do this. Boo!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:45 AM EST
Head, Dept of Mysteries
Points: 3027
beowulf says:
I guess the devil does NOT wear Prada, but a wizard's cloak instead... What a joke.
Beowulf
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:51 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1228
Hermy-ninny Granger says:
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read
perhaps the Pope should try actually reading the book?
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 9:59 AM EST
Squib
Points: 116
*Harry Potter says:
Harry Potter *king of Darkness,The Devil* HAHAHAH
That gabrielle amorth guy must have gone off his rockers.
really why the religions esp. the vatican have to hate harry potter i dont know.
Maybe someday they should take time off their busy schedule (during which they talk gibberish about stuff they dont know) and read harry potter books ,only then they would know about it.this is all so ridiculous.
But the thing i dont understand is why the church have to hate harry potter books ,its damn excellent series.
Wait , I know why because it contains Magic.
church hates magic and everything to do with it and the proof is what they did to people calling themselves magical in middle centuries.
really the statement makes me feels we live in a dark age or something . the church must leave the old age and come onto the new age
and by the way there are lots of other books that have horrible stuff in them. romantic books(horrible?????) .dark books, other fiction books ,etc,etc,etc.lot more than HP books.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:11 AM EST
Witch
Points: 842
Books and Cleverness says:
Ugh! Here we go again!!! Oh my gosh my child is reading a fantasy book called Harry Potter call the F.B.I! The C.I.A the Navy Seals! Something to keep them from this witch craft oh I know our preacher at church will do just the trick! He has the answers to everything! Lord have mercy stop putting a fairy tale down because you think it has a horrible effect on children when it's really just encouraging them to read! *breathes in and out* Ok angry rant is over.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:18 AM EST
Prefect
Points: 372
loopy luna says:
Well, apparently mass confusion reigns. I think someone has not read Harry Potter -- again! I get rather tired of people ranting and complaining who have never really read the books.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:20 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1029
Magic Dancer K says:
Yes, this is awesome! The reason that I first heard of Harry Potter was due to the controversy it created. It's like free advertising. Anyways, the only people that would listen to the exorcist are people that wouldn't read Harry Potter in the first place. He's just giving incentive to those who haven't read it but aren't opposed to it.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:29 AM EST
Charms Mistress
(Moderator)
Points: 5162
Weesa says:
People like this really bug me. They should take the time to actually read the books so they can see that Harry Potter is not the devil or whatever else they say. It's just a nice series of books where the characters grow up in unusual circumstances.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:34 AM EST
Hogwart's Ghost
Points: 2604
gemma_barnett1985 says:
WHAT a load of CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 10:55 AM EST
Keeper of the Faeries
Points: 5239
juliebug04 says:
Only this comment and I will phrase like Hermione.
What...an...IDIOT!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:01 AM EST
I Am Queen of My Castle
Points: 3673
Hecate3fold says:
It really saddens me to read things like this in todays age of enlightenment. The thought that some people are still so backward in their thinking makes me wonder how we have progressed at all. My only consolation is that people grow old and die and are replaced by those who no longer support the mindset of fear of the unknown. Blessings! Hecate3fold!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:22 AM EST
Magical Mama
Points: 2597
Kravso says:
What is the Vatican afraid of, really? Something gets popular and the Vatican jumps on it, trashes it, ultimately promotes it, and it's really nothing to get upset about. This is FICTION. Kids are reading, adults are reading, no one is trying to kill Christianity. We are all people, we have free will, we will believe what we want to believe and a children's author is not going to alter the face of Christianity any more than anything else in the media. There are other, lesser known authors out there writing some really subversive stuff, but we don't see headlines about the Vatican condemning them. This is just one antiquated institution threatened by some publicity, anyone gets popular and BAM, the Vatican has to try to knock them down a peg. It's pathetic. News to the Vatican, Christianity serves God, not the Vatican, it's time to really look at what's important, and it's not the egos of the men in the Vatican, you are no more important than anyone else (or did you forget that?).
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:31 AM EST
Witch
Points: 663
harry's_girl_4ever says:
Did the exorcist guy even READ the books? People like THAT make me so mad! they bash the books before even reading them. they say that Harry Potter is the Devil but if they only read the books they would see that um HELLLOOOO he fights against evil! he is the good guy! and NO WHERE in the books does it make a reference to the devil or devil worshiping or getting their magic from the devil. This just makes me so mad beacuase people like to bash things they know NOTHING about. DO A LITTLE RESEARCH BEFORE BRINGING DOWN HARRY POTTER.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:37 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1237
HeadmistressMcGonagall says:
Yea, about that.
I'm not particularly in love with Cathloic people, (actually, my first roomie was one, and she's now in a mental institution) so I can't say that I particularly take much out of the interview. I hate it when people say things without actually reading the books, or bothering to know what the books are actually about. It's just the same as the Bible. People judge Christians for what they believe in, but have they actually read the entire Bible? Most of them probably not.
Ok, off my soap box.
But seriously, it's a book. It's a literacy tool. I'm a preservice teacher, and I totally plan on using the Harry Potter books as a literacy tool, not as a "this is what you should believe in."
HeadmistressMcGonagall
ps. I'm not trying to make anyone mad, I have lots of Cathloic friends, I just don't agree with parts of the religion.
RIGHT ON GIRL!
That's an amazing post.
HeadmistressMcGongall
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:41 AM EST
Squib
Points: 159
MissHermioneGranger says:
Wow. Stuff like this really makes me angry. I am sure that neither of this men have ever even read HP. If they had, they would not make ridiculous comments. This kinda thing makes me embarrassed to say I'm Catholic!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:54 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1090
Octavian Petronius says:
I think that is rediculous. Why do they say such things about fictional characters, it just makes the church look worse. Maybe they should put someone a little less loopy than mad-eye moody as the head exorcist.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:55 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1303
PotterGirlThru&Thru says:
Sure, Harry Potter is like Hitler...
Oh, come on, how could someone who has read the books say something like this?
Obviously, this man doesn't know what he's talking about...
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 11:57 AM EST
Grillows Girl
Points: 2785
Miss Baltimore Crabs says:
I could say a lot of things about this but I'm not going to diss anyone's beliefs... I'm just going to say I strongly disagree with the Pope's exorcist and I find his job slightly disturbing.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 12:10 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1065
GeeMessy says:
Harry Potter is the devil? That is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while. Why would someone say that? I do not understand. Does not matter what the vatican says, I am not catholic so I do not care for their opinion.
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 12:11 PM EST
Kathe Mera Kalimera
Points: 7720
dominor says:
HAHAHA!!Mwahahahaha!!!OK!!I would really really enjoy a talk with Mr. Gabriele Amorth...This is rubbish if you ask me..The Vatican is losing its followers..And that is exactly why they try to win the vertue of some people..What would they say?That Harry Potter is good?EVERYONE says that,they wouldn't win any support that way..
I hope that my post won't be edited or deleted by any mod,cause it is what i truly believe and i want people to read my ideas and my beliefs...
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 12:19 PM EST
Witch
Points: 580
*SlytherinEmpress* says:
wow, i think the Vatican is digging way to much into this. Hypathetically speaking if Harry Potter was real, and there really were wizards and witches about. That would still not impact the amount of people still following the church.
WOOT!!
Posted Sep 6, 2006 at 12:23 PM EST
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