Vatican City
The Vatican said this week that the Harry Potter books about wizards and witches help children “to see the difference between good and evil.” At the release of a report on New Age religions, Father Peter Fleetwood said, “I don’t think there’s anyone in this room who grew up without fairies, magic, and angels in their imaginary world.” Such children’s stories are no threat to Catholicism, he said. Instead, he blamed New Age spiritual trends, such as yoga, Zen Buddhism, and Gaea worship, for competing with Christianity for people’s souls.
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