Top exorcist condemns 'Harry Potter'

By WND Staff
Published March 3, 2006 at 10:27am

The Vatican's top exorcist has condemned J.K. Rowling's best-selling "Harry Potter" series as leading children to the devil.

Rev. Gabriele Amorth said: "You start off with Harry Potter, who comes across as a likeable wizard, but you end up with the devil. There is no doubt that the signature of the Prince of Darkness is clearly within these books."

Amorth made similar comments in 2002 and suggested children are drawn to the dark side by the novels.

"By reading Harry Potter, a young child will be drawn into magic and from there it is a simple step to Satanism and the devil," he said.

In 2002, he gave a similar interview to the Italian news agency ANSA, in which he said: "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil."

He said the books make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact the distinction "does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil."

Pope Benedict XVI also spoke out against the Harry Potter books before assuming his top position in the Roman Catholic Church.

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