Why Polish priests are burning Harry Potter
Catholic evangelical group destroying books and other objects feared to contain ‘evil forces’

Catholic priests in Poland have staged a burning of Harry Potter books and other titles deemed to promote magic, witchcraft and astrology.
Items including a statue of an elephant, a tribal mask and a pink umbrella were also set on fire during a ceremony conducted by the leaders of a Catholic evangelical foundation, called SMS from Heaven, in the northwestern city of Koszalin, reports The Independent.
Photographs of the stunt this weekend were posted to the group’s Facebook page, which has more than 23,000 followers. The images are “accompanied by fiery emojis” and quotes from the Old Testament decrying sorcery and idolatry, says The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The objects put to the flame had been brought in by parishioners after priests encouraged them to rid their homes of anything that might contain “evil forces”.
The Catholic Church is a powerful force for conservatism in Polish society, and plays an important part in a broader culture war involving the country’s right-wing populist government and the more liberal opposition.
Some Facebook users have even drawn comparisons between this weekend’s book burning and those that took place in Nazi Germany.
But this is by no means the first time that books from J.K. Rowling’s popular series about a boy wizard have been burnt by religious fanatics.
There have been at least six recorded Harry Potter book burnings in the US since the first title in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was released in 1997.
Indeed, this title is the most frequently challenged book in the country, according to the American Library Association.
In one famous instance, a mother from Georgia “took the case all the way to the State Supreme Court in 2007, alleging that Harry Potter promoted witchcraft and the occult to students”, reports entertainment news site Polygon.
A decade later, some social media users claimed they were burning their Potter books in protest against tweets by Rowling criticising Donald Trump.
In a stinging response, Rowling wrote: “Guess it’s true what they say: you can lead a girl to books about the rise and fall of an autocrat, but you still can’t make her think.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
Pro-EU centrist beats Trump acolyte in Romania vote
speed read The mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, defeated hard-right nationalist George Simion in the race for Romania's presidency
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos