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The Courier-Mail, Australia
Mar. 1, 2006
www.thecouriermail.news.com.au

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ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 13823 • Posted: Wednesday March 1, 2006  

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The Vatican’s chief exorcist has claimed the Harry Potter stories could lead children into Satanism.

Father 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 Harry Potter books.”

Father Amorth, 80, who has carried out 3000 exorcisms since 1986, said: “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.”

Harry Potter has already been criticised by Pope Benedict XVI.

Three years ago, before becoming Pope, he said the character was a bad influence because the stories contained “seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly”.

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