Ratzinger as Drama Critic

[MavKikiNYC]

Pope not much of a Potter fan, says writer

July 14 2005 at 08:33AM

Berlin - Pope Benedict believes Harry Potter books subtly seduce young readers, according to comments attributed to him by a German writer.

Gabriele Kuby, who has written a book called Harry Potter - Good or Evil, which attacks JK Rowling's best-selling series about the boy wizard, has published extracts from letters written to her by Benedict when he was a cardinal.

"It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because these are subtle seductions which act unnoticed and, by this, deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly," Benedict wrote, according to the excerpt.

The sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is expected to top the best-selling lists when it is published on Saturday. - Reuters

Off the record:

The pope thinks that the costumes for the faculty at Hogwarts are bland to the point of tastelessness, and did little to flatter the figure of Maggie Smith.

He also expressed an admiration for the realism and wholesomeness of shows such as American Idol and Fear Factor.