I think I can answer, but perhaps not to the satisfaction of the worried.
A few bishops have given negative reviews of the book. Some on the far right clung to these statements as gospel. While a fairly interesting debate was going on about the difference between encouraging imagination through fantastical stories, and encouraging approval of magic, a great number of Catholic leaders weighed in with very logical and substantial claims.
Pope Benedict himself made a statement, which was quite similar to Mr. Mark O’Malley’s post earlier in this discussion. He said that the lively imaginations of children in conjunction with unformed faith can make books like Harry Potter dangerous to them. That is a far cry from saying the books are inherently evil, and in any event, it was not an official position but an opinion. Certainly an opinion worth our consideration, though.
Lifesitenews.com headlined an article saying that Pope Benedict “opposes Harry Potter novels.” That hysterical article distorted a very level opinion into a very heavy weight on the side of those who would like to ban the books. Zenit, a more reliable source for Vatican news, issued a correction or sorts.
Then, the Vatican newpaper, which many incorrectly think is the voice of our Church, published a very positive review of the books. That lead the Potter apologists to cling to the newest headlines that the Vatican has OK’ed the books.
The truth, as near I can tell, is that the Church does not have an official position on the Harry Potter series, which is as one might expect. Whether or not a parent believes their child is mature enough to enjoy the fantasy as a fantasy is a matter for the parents, though they will find advice from all sides within the Church if they look.
My opinion is that the books were a delight for me to read as an adult. At some point, I will allow my children to read them. I will not be reading them to my children when they are young, as I will Tolkien and Lewis books.
There is a key difference between the fantasies. A human, in the writings of these faithful Christians, does not have powers. Some other species do- elves for instance. And perhaps that is magic. It is not something that a human can learn. In the Harry Potter books, the line is not so well defined. A “muggle” can learn to do magic, and well. It is a very different thing to say that there could possibly be other mysterious species who have different powers than we have as humans, than it is to say that humans have the potential to do magic. I do not see that as a fine line, but I do see it as a teachable line. (Even Cinderella, earlier cited, could not herself do magic. A fairy had to do it.) I believe that it is possible, and enjoyable, to read the books with a clear understanding that it crosses a line which, should it be crossed in reality rather than fantasy, would be immoral. Full disclosure: I let my daughter dress up as a fairy for Halloween.
