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.
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.
-
11 hotels opening in 2026 to help you reconnect with natureThe Week Recommends Find peace on the beaches of Mexico and on a remote Estonian island
-
Zimbabwe’s driving crisisUnder the Radar Southern African nation is experiencing a ‘public health disaster’ with one of the highest road fatality rates in the world
-
The Mint’s 250th anniversary coins face a whitewashing controversyThe Explainer The designs omitted several notable moments for civil rights and women’s rights
