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Warning to parents
Famed exorcist sees dangers in Harry Potter
In early December the official exorcist of the Rome diocese, Father Gabriele Amorth, warned parents against the Harry Potter book series. The priest, who is also the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said Satan is behind the works.

In an interview with the Italian ANSA news agency, Father Amorth said, “Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of darkness, the devil.” The exorcist, drawing on his decades of experience in directly combating evil, observed that young people could become involved in Satanic practices because they see the invocation of supernatural powers as a simple and attractive possibility, devoid of moral consequences. He noted that J.K. Rowling’s books contain innumerable positive references to magic, which he insisted must be recognized as “the satanic art.” He noted that the books attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact such a distinction “does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil.”

In the interview, which was published in papers across Europe, Father Amorth also criticized the disordered morality presented in Rowling’s works, noting that they suggest that rules can be contravened and lying justified when they work to one’s benefit.

The North American coverage of Father Amorth’s warnings significantly downplayed the force of his warnings. The New York Times account of the interview, which was carried in many other media outlets, omitted the strongest language used by the Rome exorcist, and did not include his explanations for the warning. It only quoted Father Amorth as saying, “If children can see the movie with their parents, it’s not all bad.” (The Times report also failed to mention that the movie version significantly cleaned up Harry’s image, making it less troublesome than the books.)

In the same provocative language, Father Amorth also sharply criticized the new approved ritual for exorcism, saying that the language of the rite lacked the force of the old version. And he complained that most bishops allow an exorcism to proceed only when there is demonstrable proof of a diabolic possession. An exorcism should also be recognized as a diagnostic tool, he said, and frequently the ritual helps to determine whether or not an individual is possessed.

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