Dear Rosa:

There is absolutely NO TRUTH WHATSOEVER that the Vatican gave a "seal of approval" to Harry Potter books and movies.

Remember where this story comes from -- from a Newspaper. The media is so incompetent and so willing to make a story out of the Vatican that if the janitor of St. Peters were to express an opinion, the media would trump it up to be an official Vatican declaration.

Father Peter Fleetwood made his stupid and uninformed statements as "personal" opinion. He was NOT representing the Vatican.

Father Fleetwood's reported comment that Magicians and witches "are not bad or a banner for anti-Christian ideology" is in direct contradiction to the Bible and to Church teaching.

The Church says about magic and witchcraft:

Divination and magic

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

A very good pamphlet on Harry Potter (PDF file) was produced by Covenant Keepers. I recommend it to understand this issue.

As for Father Fleetwood, perhaps we should pray that he keeps his mouth shut about things he knows nothing about.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary