# CBC.ca: Pope's top exorcist says Harry Potter is 'king of darkness' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378 "2006-09-04T06:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/1 "2006-09-04T06:09:12Z")
[Link here](http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/09/03/harrypotter-exorcist-pope.html). Well, now that I own all the Harry Potter books I guess I can give into my godless urges of goat sacrifices and devilish Black Masses and listening to the new Paris Hilton album. Be seeing you all. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/2 "2006-09-04T06:49:52Z")
I had some impolite things to say about the RC policies, but this is Cafe Society. The Rev. Gabriel Amorth is a gunky. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/3 "2006-09-04T06:57:28Z")
If Harry is King of Evil, what does that make Voldemort? Pope of evil? That there exists an “International Association of Exorcists” (which this holy clown is head of) shows that there is a lot of ignorance to fight. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/4 "2006-09-04T07:24:10Z")
The guy’s a goofball. He also recently claimed that [Stalin and Hitler and all the Nazis were possessed by the Devil.](http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/08/29/stalinhitler.shtml) [QUOTE=Father Gabriele Amorth] “Of course the Devil exists and he can not only possess a single person but also groups and entire populations. I am convinced that the Nazis were all possessed. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/5 "2006-09-04T09:22:45Z")
Woooooooooooooooo! It’s official. The Vatican is about 10 years behind on trends. Big Man God should have denounced the Teletubbies first, skipped over Harry and his Minions of Evil and right on to Boo Bah. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/6 "2006-09-04T12:34:19Z")
Well, my reason to finally cave in and buy my first Harry Potter was the following piece of literary criticism: > [@](#): > > …a piece of fluff entertainment… …akin to stories like The Three Musketeers in that it’s not literature but cheap entertainment… I closed the newspaper and declared that Monsieur Athos, on whom I used to have a terrible crush as a teenager, wanted me to buy a Potter book; then I went and bought one (in English, I happened to be in London at the time). I’ve bought the rest and loaned the first one to several people who wanted a book to practice their English reading schools; I loan out my “Hobbit” as well. According to the SGAE (Spanish Union of Authors and Editors) I’ll burn in Hell for the loans 😛 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/7 "2006-09-04T13:12:43Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] I had some impolite things to say about the RC policies, but this is Cafe Society. The Rev. Gabriel Amorth is a gunky. [/QUOTE] Wow. Does that mean I can call Noclueboy a “gunky”? Cool. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/8 "2006-09-04T14:26:52Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] The guy’s a goofball. He also recently claimed that [Stalin and Hitler and all the Nazis were possessed by the Devil.](http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/08/29/stalinhitler.shtml) [/QUOTE] Hey, I’ve heard worse reasons for why they were so evil. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/9 "2006-09-04T15:14:08Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] I had some impolite things to say about the RC policies, but this is Cafe Society. The Rev. Gabriel Amorth is a gunky. [/QUOTE] CS or not, I’m thinking “batshit insane” would be appropriate as well. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/10 "2006-09-04T15:16:16Z")
I just like the idea that the Pope has a “top” exorcist; one whose exorcisms are much less likely to devolve into puking, head revolving, and flying around the room than his peers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/11 "2006-09-04T16:59:48Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] I just like the idea that the Pope has a “top” exorcist; [/QUOTE] Yeah, it’s not as funny since he’s German instead of Italian, but… “Shes-a turnin’ her head all da way ‘round? I’ma gonna senda my topa exorcist, no foolin’ arounda here.” ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/12 "2006-09-04T17:34:43Z")
I think Dumbledore might have something to say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/13 "2006-09-04T17:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Amorth, who is also the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said the series contains many positive references to “the satanic art” of magic **and makes no distinction between black and white magic.** :rolleyes: Voldemort has powers that Dumbledore never did, because Dumbledore is “too noble” to use them. Harry’s best subject is Defence against the Dark Arts. Harry makes an impassioned speech in PS about how he’ll never go over to the Dark side. The Ministry for Magic’s elite “dark-wizard catchers” are called Aurors. So on and so on. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/14 "2006-09-04T17:52:53Z")
[QUOTE=Rysto] :rolleyes: Voldemort has powers that Dumbledore never did, because Dumbledore is “too noble” to use them. Harry’s best subject is Defence against the Dark Arts. Harry makes an impassioned speech in PS about how he’ll never go over to the Dark side. The Ministry for Magic’s elite “dark-wizard catchers” are called Aurors. So on and so on. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > Amorth, who is also the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said the series contains many positive references to “the satanic art” of magic and makes no distinction between black and white magic. Note that it is Amorth who makes no distinction between black and white magic. He is not claiming that the novels make no distinction; he believes there is no distinction, that all magic is evil. > [@](#): > > “Magic is always a turn to the devil,” said the Roman Catholic priest, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/15 "2006-09-04T18:16:26Z")
> [@](#): > > “Magic is always a turn to the devil,” said the Roman Catholic priest, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper. Ok, therefore this was the work of the devil: Big piles of bread and fish. Raising anyone from the dead. Spiting therapy. Walking on water Turning water into wine. When then I hear the reasons why that was not magic but faith, they lose me, faith is used too by many practitioners of Magic and many are not even of the so called dark variety. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/16 "2006-09-04T18:19:16Z")
Well, if white magic comes from the Devil, perhaps he isn’t such a bad guy after all, eh ? As well, if white magic = “Tool of the Devil !”, don’t Jesus’s alleged benevolent miracles make him the son of the Devil and not God ? Healing the sick and lame and raising the dead is classic white magic. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/17 "2006-09-04T18:21:32Z")
“Harry Potter is so obviously innoculous fantasy that its fiction is easily distinguishable from real life…Parents and children can enjoy this fetching tale in the same spirit of the time-honored tradition of sorcery in Eastern Literature, such as the magical figure of Merlin in the Arthurian legend.” -U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001 If a group of American Catholics can disagree with the Vatican, then I guess everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/18 "2006-09-04T18:21:46Z")
I really like this in the comparison of Harry Potter to Stalin and Hitler: [QUOTE=Top Exorcist] “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,” said Amorth, who has reportedly performed 30,000 exorcisms." [/quote] A shame that the Church didn’t exactly stand in a pure position of moral authority with respect to WWII and the actions of said Hitler. And my mind is agog at the fact that they have any one individual who has performed 30,000 exorcisms. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/19 "2006-09-04T18:33:52Z")
[QUOTE=PastAllReason] And my mind is agog at the fact that they have any one individual who has performed 30,000 exorcisms. Yikes. [/QUOTE] Well, it’s obviously very effective. Why, I don’t _ever_ recall seeing someone possessed by demons ! That _proves_ it works ! ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378/20 "2006-09-04T18:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] If Harry is King of Evil, what does that make Voldemort? Pope of evil? That there exists an “International Association of Exorcists” (which this holy clown is head of) shows that there is a lot of ignorance to fight. [/QUOTE] Rev. Amorth _founded_ the group in 1990. Maybe he’s just justifying his job. Think about it. He’s got a job for life and a Vatican address as long as there’s a devil afoot. This reminds me of a Dave Garner quote: “I want you all to go out and buy my new book called 'What Will The Preachers Do When The Devil Is Saved?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbc-ca-popes-top-exorcist-says-harry-potter-is-king-of-darkness/371378.md?page=2)